


From Eden

by TheBannedAuthor



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcoholic Original Character, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Drugs, F/M, Fist Fights, Gen, Hozier, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Mental Health Issues, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-binary Deputy, Original Player Characters, Religious Cults, Song: From Eden (Hozier), Tom Misch, Tom Waits - Freeform, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-03-17 15:08:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18967723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBannedAuthor/pseuds/TheBannedAuthor
Summary: The Deputy wasn't the only one to show up in Hope County just when the world was about to end, as Joseph had predicated. Turns out a lot of people don't really like it when your religious cult starts to kidnap and kill people.And aren't there supposed to be Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse anyway?





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alli makes a decision that will alter the fate of the Project at Eden's Gate.

The night she left her home behind, Alli had gone to bed early, feigning a headache to her parents. They were in the living room when she got home that night; her mother sitting on the couch with a half-crocheted shawl, her father in his arm chair, sipping a glass of scotch while making notes in his worn leather-bound Bible. Alli had been witness to this routine for over 20 years- when she was a child she used to sit at her father’s feet, playing with a doll or reading as he made notes in his bible. It was one of his favorite pastimes, one he continued even after she had left for her brief stint at a community college.  

Her father didn’t look up from his bible when she announced she was going to bed early. Her mother had, however, and asked if she needed anything- a glass of water, Tylenol? Alli shook her head and said she thought she just needed to close her eyes. Before she went upstairs, her eyes lingered on her father, sitting in his armchair, reviewing the notes in his Bible, the near empty glass of scotch on the table beside him. A part of Alli wanted him to look up at her-  _look at me and ask me if something is wrong,_ _look_ _at me and know that I’m about to betray you, prove to me you care you self-centered old son of a bitch_. But he didn’t look up, the only noise in the room the scratch of his pencil on those dried pages.  

It’s not her fault, he brought this on himself. That’s what she told herself as she marched up the stairs and into her room. 

Alli had moved into her older brother’s room after he’d graduated high school; it was bigger, and it had a view of the valley better than her own. Sometimes, as the sun was just beginning to set, the light hit the hills just right and turned them into fields of gold. The sky was dark when she went upstairs that evening. She had only gone to college for two years before moving back and taking a job as a waitress at the 8-Bit Pizza Bar. Her parents were happy to have her home, her father wanted her there to help at church during the day. Her mother was obviously lonely and wanted someone to talk to. Course, neither of them seemed to care what  _Alli_ wanted.  

Alli laid in bed with the covers tugged above her head, unable to sleep. The anticipation of what was to come was tying her stomach into knots- what if she couldn’t do it? What if she didn’t do it? What if she just stayed in bed and pretended to sleep for the whole night? What if she got up in the morning and went downstairs like she normally would? Her mother would already be cooking breakfast, her father outside taking care of the chickens. She could go to her father’s church and set up for the morning mass. She could watch the sun set from her window before she went to her shift at 8-Bit. She could live this way for the next ten years and her parents would never know she had planned to betray them. 

But Alli couldn’t live this way. One day more in this house, with her parents, her father, their uncaring neediness would kill her. This was the only way. 

Her mother came to check on her after about an hour. Alli buried her head in the pillow, her heart beating rapidly as she faked the even breathing of sleep. It convinced her mother though and she closed the door. A few minutes later, Alli heard the door to her parents’ room open and shut as her mother went inside. Soon after her father walked upstairs, going into their bedroom.  

And she waited for her parents to fall asleep.  

At around 2 AM, she pushed the covers off and got out of bed. Silently, she moved out of her bedroom and down the stairs. The air was heavy with what she was about to do, the treachery against her family she was about to commit. She looked at her father’s chair, at the kitchen where her mother would have been cooking breakfast the next morning. Her eyes were drawn to the pictures on the wall, placed around the crucifix that hung in the center of the room. Pictures of Alli as a child with her parents, with her older brother. Pictures of her going to prom, graduating high school. There used to be more pictures of her brother, but her father had taken them down after he moved in with “that Drubman whore.” 

A part of her was glad Xander wasn’t here for this. He would be disappointed, maybe even downright angry at her. Of course, Xander had changed- and so had she. 

It dawned on her that this was going to be the last time she would set foot in her childhood home. But the happy memories she wanted to hold on to were already gone, replaced by resentment and hurt.  

_Now or never, Alli. You know what you have to do_. 

Alli’s jaw clenched and she moved forward, turning on the porchlight, signaling to the people waiting across the street that it was time. She let out a ragged breath, there was no going back now. Alli unlocked the main door, pushing the screen door out and walking onto the porch. It was just starting to become spring but there was a chill in the air. Alli was shivering as she walked down the porch steps and onto the path leading to the front gate. It was too late to grab a jacket, and a little cold was the least of her worries. She stopped at the front gate, waiting. 

She didn’t have to wait long. Soon enough headlights appeared at the end of the drive. A convoy of white trucks drove up, flying black flags with white crosses on them. She unlocked the gate and opened it, standing aside for them to pass through. There were more trucks than Alli thought there would be and a van at the back of the line. She was shivering still, but not just from the cold as she moved forward to the trucks. 

The Baptist was the first to step out into the open, clutching onto the Book of Joseph. The Siren was next, her short white dress inappropriate for the temperature. Her eyes found Alli and she gave her a smile- an empty smile. Then it was the Soldier, followed closely by men in red hoods. He moved past the others toward the house, letting his Chosen go in first before entering the house himself. Alli watched him walk in, feeling a hitch in her breath. This was it. No going back now. 

Finally, He was there. The Father stepped out of the lead truck and moved towards Alli, his eyes only on her behind those yellow-tinted sunglasses. Alli was frozen as she looked at him, wanting to speak and unable to. This was so different from writing letters and talking with him over the phone. She was in The Father’s presence, his attention directed toward her, only her.  

When Joseph approached her, he clasped her hands in his. Though he was not smiling, his expression was gentle and his voice a comfort. “You’ve done well, my child.” His voice was low and deep, meant only for her. “I know how difficult this was for you. The pain you feel will fade, I promise. This was the right thing to do.” Her hands in his, Alli couldn’t help but feel justified for her actions. This was the right thing to do. It was. It was. The Father guided her toward the porch steps, moving her to sit. “Wait for me, out here. This will not take long.” Then he moved up the stairs into the house. The Siren and Baptist, who shot a smirk in her direction, followed behind him, entering her parents' house. 

Alli sat on the porch steps, staring out across the farm’s fields as she heard her parents shouting when they were awoken and dragged from their room by the Chosen. Her mother was screaming as they were forced down the stairs, her father shouting that he would call the police. And then she heard Joseph speak. He told them that they were being brought to judgement for their sins. He offered them redemption and atonement and a place alongside their daughter in Eden’s Gate. Her father cursed at him, _"_ _I’ll join your damn cult when Hell freezes over!”_  and she heard the Baptist’s laughter along the sounds of her father being beaten. The screen door was thrown open and her parents were dragged from their house, past her on the stairs. Her mother was sobbing, looking toward Alli, _"_ _Why-_ _why_ _would you do this?!”_  Her father cursed her, damning her name, wishing she was never born.  

The Soldier passed her on the steps, directing his Chosen to the van as the rest of his men ransacked the house. Her mother’s sobs turned to pleas, begging Alli to stop this from happening. Alli only watched as the Soldier threw the doors open and her parents were tossed into the back of the van. She could feel her own sobs welling up in her chest, but her eyes stayed dry. _This was the right thing to do_ , she repeated to herself, _the right thing the right thing._  

She was still shivering as the Baptist and Siren passed her on the steps. Footsteps stopped behind her and a moment later a jacket was wrapped around her shoulders. The Father’s coat. She turned to see Joseph kneeling before her. He cupped her face in his hands, thumbs softly grazing her cheeks. Alli felt a surge of affection and she moved her hands to his wrists- no one had ever held her so gently before. So lovingly. In that moment she knew she would give her life for this man. 

“Don’t be afraid.” Joseph said to her, his voice just above a whisper. “God is here for you.  _I_ am here for you. I am your Father. And you are my child.” 

_Yes_. Alli thought to herself, her eyes closing as he placed a kiss on her forehead. For too long she had been lonely and uncared for. Too long she had to deny how her father abandoned her at the time she needed him most. Now she had abandoned him. And she was never going back. 

Joseph pulled her to her feet and embraced her. Alli pressed her face into his shoulder, breathing in his warmth, her fingers clinging to his vest. Now she was crying, but it wasn’t for what she had lost but now for what she had gained. The Father was the one to break the embrace, moving an arm around her waist and guiding her to the trucks.  

As Alli approached the convoy she found herself looking at the Soldier, hearing her former parents scream and bang against the van walls. Incredibly, he was already looking at her, meeting her watery eyes. She’d heard the rumors around him and now she’d seen the violence he was capable of- but… she felt no fear from his gaze. Only curiosity. And, as she climbed into the passenger seat of The Father’s truck, the hope for what was to come.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another WIP I won't finish because I have no self control.
> 
> One of the main OC's is inspired by my best friend. Check her out on tumblr.
> 
> Her: mycroftforking.tumblr.com
> 
> Me: wedonotdeserveher.tumblr.com


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay starts a new job. Jacky takes a new case. Alli takes her first step to becoming part of the family.

_You can’t take this away from me_  

 _Oh,_ _the way I hit the melody_  

 _The waves bring clarity_  

 _Running through me_  

It’s a good thing their Spotify discovery queue had lasted the two hours it took to walk to the Sheriff’s station. The day had started off pretty piss poor for Jay (they had a piss poor weekend which happened to leak into the morning Jay was supposed to start as Deputy in Hope County); but Tom Misch and the jazzy rhythm of his new single was starting to make it better. Jay walked across the parking lot, bobbing their head to the ending chorus. 

 _You can’t take this away from me_  

 _Oh,_ _the way I hit the melody_  

 _The waves br-_  

Jay tugged their earbuds out, pocketing their phone before opening one of the double doors to the station. The station wasn’t much bigger than their last apartment- only one floor for everything but that was common in these small town Sheriff stations. Jay approached the empty dispatch desk, noting the coffee cup with steam still rising out of it. Whoever was there must have left for the bathroom in a hurry. Jay leaned back against the desk, checking the time on their phone with a frown. Fuck- full half hour late on their first day. Not a good way to make a first impression. They put their hands in the pockets of their leather jacket, feeling a slight bit of worry creep up on them. 

Soon enough a woman in her late 30’s opened a door to what Jay assumed was the restroom, moving to the desk and stopping when she saw Jay. “Oh hi-“ She gave Jay a strange look- like she was confused why anyone was standing in the lobby at 8 in the morning- and walked behind her desk. “You here to make a complaint?” 

“Compla- no. I’m Jay Parrish- Deputy Parrish, I mean. I’m supposed to start today?” 

“Deputy Parrish-“ Realization dawned on the woman’s face and she flipped some papers to uncover a folder. “Right- weren’t you supposed to be here a half hour ago?” 

“Yeah sorry. I had to walk. My girlfriend usually drives me, but we broke up this weekend and I couldn’t get an Uber cause this place is so far out of the city-“ Jay stopped themself as they realized they were rambling.  

“Well better late than never.” The woman gave Jay a quick smile as she picked up the phone. “Hey, Earl? That new deputy is here at the front. Should I send her in? ...Uh-huh… okay. Okay.” The woman hung up. “Sheriff Whitehorse will be right out. Whatcha say your name was?” 

“Jay.” They decided to hold back correcting the woman on their gender, it was an honest mistake. 

“Nice to meet you, hon. I’m Nancy.” Besides the slight faux pas, Nancy seemed friendly enough. She shook Jay’s hand and settled into her chair. “What do you think of Hope County so far?” 

“It’s… got a lot of trees.” Jay hadn’t really taken the time to explore around yet. While they were walking, they noticed a couple towny places here and there, but it was mostly wilderness.  

“Got a lot more people than you think too. Lots of folks in Montana have relocated up here during the past couple years or so.” The phone rang on Nancy’s desk and she picked it up. “‘Scuse me- hello?” 

“You’re late.” Jay whirled around to see the Sheriff standing behind her.  _Well hey there, cowboy_. Sheriff Whitehorse was every inch the country boy- a man probably in his 50’s, a slight drawl in his gruff voice. 

“Y-yeah sorry- sorry, sir.” Jay corrected themself. “It won’t happen again. You see I had to walk- “ 

The Sheriff cut them off. “I run a tight ship here, Rook. We’re not a busy district, but I got high expectations for my deputies. You’ll learn you either shape up or ship outta here. I make myself clear?” 

Jay resisted the urge to comically gulp. “Yes, sir. It won’t happen again.” 

“Good.” Hands on his hips, Whitehorse made a half turn, gesturing for Jay to follow him. “C’mon, I’ll give you the tour before you get started.” Whitehorse pushed open the double doors to the main part of the station, Jay trailing behind on his heels. 

“Hope they told you in Missoula not to expect much, Rookie.” He started off, moving in between the aisle of the two rows of desks. “We got our holding cells back here across from the conference room. Our copy room is technically our records room with a copier jammed into it. Down that hallway is the interrogation room. My office is back by the break room.” The ‘break room’ was a kitchen counter with a refrigerator, microwave and coffee machine. “The mayor’s been talking about giving us an expansion in two or three years but I ain’t holding my breath.” The Sheriff stopped by the small conference room, turning back to Jay. “Don’t expect to be making any major arrests besides a drunk and disorderly ever week or so. Occasionally there’ll be a two-bit robbery. We try to keep busy anyway, do our paperwork right. There’s  _a lot_ of paperwork.” He eyed Jay to stress his point. “This isn’t the job to get your name in the paper, Rookie. You want that then go back to the city. If you work here, then you want to be someone who’ll be there for these people when they need you most.” 

Jay nodded and after a moment responded. “Yes, sir.” It stung a bit being called ‘Rookie’. They had three years’ experience in Missoula, though to be fair that was mostly paperwork too. 

Whitehorse studied them for a moment, seeing if there was any fault to Jay’s voice, any suspicion that they might be changing their mind. But Jay must have had a convincing enough expression because the Sheriff nodded at them. He turned his head at two deputies by the coffee machine, one man and one woman. “Those are my two best, deputies Hudson and Pratt. You need advice on how any of this works, go straight to them. Hudson’s got a bit of an anger streak, and Pratt can be a real dick but they’re good people. Good deputies. They’ll make sure you get anything you need.” He led Jay over to one of the unoccupied desks. “This’ll be your desk. I do weekly inspections so make sure you keep it clean and keep all your paperwork up to date. We have morning meetings at 9 AM sharp in the conference room. Make sure you aren’t late for them or you’re liable to miss something important.” 

The Sheriff straightened up and looked Jay dead in the eye. “Any questions?” His tone however, made it sound like asking him questions was the last thing he wanted Jay to do. 

“No, sir. Conference room, 9AM sharp.” Whitehorse nodded, giving an amused huff of breath. “You might make a decent deputy yet, Rookie.” As he passed Jay, he gave them a firm pat on the back. If this was a test, they must have passed. 

Jay let out a breath, taking their knapsack off and flopping into their seat. Whitehorse was a hard ass, that’s for sure. Jay knew that without someone pushing them they wouldn’t work as hard as they should. They were almost grateful for him. Jay sat forward, taking inventory of what they’d been given. In the top drawer was a notebook, a roll of tape and a stapler. Bottom drawer had a file folder already installed but empty. Not bad. The computer however was something out of the early 2000’s. 

“Don’t be dial-up, don’t be dial-up…” Jay turned on the computer and pressed the button to turn on the monitor. After a couple minutes of annoyed waiting, the monitor whizzed to life and Jay was able to put in their log in.  

So… now what? 

Coffee. Now coffee. 

Jay stood up from their chair and moved over to the coffee machine where the other two deputies still stood, chatting. 

 _Hi, I’m Jay- shit no… Hi I’m Deputy Parrish… Hi I’m the new kid and I majorly suck at conversation. Also, I was just dumped this week, feel pity for me._  

“Hey! You must be the new girl.” The man noticed them first, giving them a cheeky grin.  

“…new deputy. Yeah.” Jay could feel their tongue drying up. 

“…oh, shit. I didn’t mean- shit-“ The woman rolled her eyes at the man trying to stammer out an apology. “Ignore Staci, he can be an idiot sometimes-“ 

“No no it’s okay I get it a lot it’s okay-“ Oh my god Jay stop apologizing! “I’m Parrish. Jay… Jay Parrish. Not Parrish Jay of course.” 

The woman didn’t seem impressed, but the man seemed to calm down, seeing Jay exude awkwardness. “It’s all good, I’m Staci. Pratt. Staci Pratt.” He must have been trying to make them feel better, but his teasing didn’t quite hit the mark. 

The woman took a drink from her coffee before sighing. “Joey Hudson. Again, ignore Pratt. He’s a dick.” 

“And Hudson can give you the cold shoulder but she’s really all soft and squishy on the inside.” 

Hudson shot Pratt a glance that said  _how fucking dare you_. Pratt offered the cup to Jay. “I just made a fresh pot. Considering you already talked to Whitehorse I bet you need this.” 

Jay took the cup with a quick thanks. “Is he always like that?” 

“A total hard ass with no sense of humor? Yeah. But he’s been doing this job forever. Knows the county like the back of his hand.” Pratt poured himself a new cup of coffee. “He give you the  _no way to be a hero_ speech?” 

Jay nodded. “Fine by me. I prefer the quiet anyway.” 

“Same. I’ll warn you though, its gonna get boring as all hell.” Pratt shrugged. “But, hey, pay is good, and this isn’t such a bad place to live and settle down, you know?” Hudson pushed off the counter, walking back toward her desk without another word. 

“Don’t worry about Joey.” Pratt said, nudging Jay. “She takes some time to warm up to people.” Jay nodded, trying not to seem too worried. 

 _It’s not so bad here after all_ . Jay thought to themselves as they sipped their coffee.  _Small town quiet is exactly what I need_.  

* * *

Walking out of her favorite coffee shop, Kaylee took the time to dig her bagel out of the bag, taking a bite before crossing the street, speed walking to avoid being honked at by those on their Monday commute. Of course, they  _did_ honk at her and that  _did_ make her jump and she  _did_  almost drop the tray of drinks- black coffee for Jacks, hot chocolate with a splash of vanilla for her- and she  _did_  still nearly trip and twist her ankle on a crack in the sidewalk. She was able to recover, bagel getting stuck momentarily in her throat and she had to cough it out. A couple of guys sitting on the steps of the apartment building nearby snickered and Kaylee felt her face heat up as she sped up, moving down the sidewalk, tray and pastry bag in one hand, bagel with a bite out of it in the other. 

Morning commutes sucked, but at least she didn’t have to drive a car in this.  

Kaylee felt her phone buzz in her pocket and she quickly maneuvered the bagel back into the bag to dig it out with her free hand. Caller ID showed only a random number, which stirred up a mixture of nerves and worry. Nerves because that was definitely the number of the bursar’s office calling to confirm the appointment she had. Worry because it  _wasn’t_  Jacky and she hadn’t heard from her friend since noon the day before. And it was April 15th… and Jacky wasn’t responding to any of her calls and texts. 

Kaylee put the phone back in her pocket. The bursar’s office could wait, she needed to check on her friend. 

Kaylee’s decision to go to school in Chicago was solely motivated by the fact that her friend lived there and her parents would buy her an apartment. Their only condition was that she finish college and find a job or find a guy to marry or else she would have to move back home. And as Kaylee was broke as fuck, she really had no choice but to take the deal. Now it was nearly seven years later, and she was almost 25 and had changed her major four times. And now she was thinking of dropping out. Which would mean moving back in with her parents. All the way across the country where they lived in Florida. 

So, in summary, Kaylee was very much fucked- and deciding to ignore it for now to go check that Jacky wasn’t in an alcohol induced coma. Better to worry about a friend than worry about herself. 

(She could hear Jacky telling her  _“That’s bullshit you’re, just as important.”_ )  

Kaylee reached Jacky’s apartment building, taking the stairs up because the elevator was, and had been, broken. When she opened the door to the fifth floor, she saw a woman standing in front of Jacky’s door. Normally this wouldn’t be odd but… it was April 15th. As far as she knew, Jacks didn’t have any customers today. 

Kaylee approached the woman cautiously, being spotted before she could say anything. “Are you Detective Dupree?” The older woman asked. 

“Oh no I’m Jac- Detective Dupree’s friend.” Kaylee glanced at the door and then looked back at the woman. “Did you try knocking?” 

The woman seemed to wilt. “Yes. No one’s been answering. I was thinking that no one was home.” 

At 10 AM? Unlikely. Kaylee shifted on her feet awkwardly, moving the bag back to her hand with the tray and fishing out her keys. She and Jacky both had the spares to each other’s apartments. “Um just… wait out here. I can call you in when she’s ready.” She unlocked and opened the door, trying to give her a smile but the woman was looking more worried by the second. “Today’s just… it’s not a good day. But I’ll let you know.” Kaylee closed the door, feeling a pang of pity. Whatever the woman had to talk about with Jacky, it was making her miserable. 

Kaylee put the tray of drinks and bag on Jacky’s kitchen counter, taking her coat off and throwing it onto the couch. “Hey Jacks! You awake?” Jacky’s apartment was small enough that she could walk from the kitchen to the living room in two steps. She wasn’t there. Kaylee took a couple more steps looking into the bathroom then walked down the short hallway and knocked on the bedroom door. “Jacky? You got a client here! Hellooooooooooooo?” 

Kaylee waited a moment, “Goddammit Jacky-“ She opened the bedroom door and found her friend lying on the floor. Kaylee immediately started to panic and rushed over. “Jacky- Jacky!” Kaylee knelt and shook her, but Jacky made no response. Fuck fuck fuck- 

Hold on. Breathe. Breathe. 

Kaylee took a breath to calm herself and lifted Jacky’s wrist, checking for a pulse. Kaylee let out the breath as she felt a steady heartbeat.  _Good_. Checking her surroundings, Kaylee noticed the blankets were halfway off the bed, which must have meant Jacky started out in bed then rolled onto the floor. However, resting on the windowsill were three empty bottles of cheap whiskey and a glass just in reach of Jacky’s fingers. Giving a sigh, Kaylee stood, grabbing the glass and going back to the bathroom to fill it with water. She moved back into the bedroom, wetting her fingertips and flicking the water onto Jacky’s face. When that didn’t work, she just poured the glass on top of her head. 

“GuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUU-FUCK!” Jacky immediately sat up, panting. “WHAT FUCK-WHY- WHAT-“ 

“Morning sunshine.” Kaylee left Jacky sputtering to go fill the glass back up with water. She knelt back down, pressing the glass into her still in shock friend’s hand. “Drink up.” 

“Fuck- Kaylee what the-“ It took Jacky a moment to realize the glass in her hand. She still seemed confused, but her mouth was dry as hell, so she drank it down. “Shit…”  

“Better?” 

Jacky nodded and rubbed at her eyes, a headache starting. “What time is it?” 

“Just after 10.” Kaylee stood up, pulling the blankets back onto the bed. “Do you remember when you passed out?” 

Jacky shook her head. “Fuck- Kaylee I don’t remember coming home… 10 AM huh?” With a groan, Jacky managed to stand up, staggering back to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. “…hold on, why the fuck are you here waking me up?” 

“It’s the 15th.” Kaylee said as an explanation, going into Jacky’s dresser to find her something decent to wear.  

“Shit….” Jacky put her hands on the sides of the sink, a creeping feeling like she may throw up in her stomach. 

“You’ve got a client outside. Said she was knocking.” 

“ _Shit_.” Jacky sighed. “Totally thought I cancelled everything today.” 

Kaylee moved to stand at the doorway of the bathroom. “I can tell her to leave. Tell her you’re sick and to come back tomorrow.” 

Jacky stared at her reflection in the mirror for a while, her eyes red rimmed. Today was a shit day, there’s no arguing that. And she should have been more careful since she knew how easy it was for her to fall apart. Jacky shook her head. “She’s here I’d hate to tell her to go home.” She frowned as she looked at her hair in the mirror. It was too late for a shower and it wasn’t a wash day anyway. She moved her fingers through her hair, detangling some of the curls, being careful in case there was breakage. 

Kaylee stood by the door, watching her. “Remember to take your meds.” 

Jacky shot her a look but opened the medicine cabinet. “You take yours yet?” She asked, empty a white pill into her palm and washing it down with water from the faucet. 

Kaylee shook her head. “I have them with me. I’ll take ‘em when you’re ready.” Kaylee started to move back into the living room. “I left some clothes out for you.” 

“Thanks mom.” Kaylee smirked at Jacky’s response, lying down on the couch. She took her phone out of her pocket, looking at her recent calls as she listened to Jacky run the water in the bathroom to brush her teeth. Staring at the last number that called her, she felt a sense of dread. Everything was about to change. Who would be there the next April 15th to pick Jacky up off the floor? Who would be there for her when her anxiety made her nearly paralyzed with fear? She knew she was selfish, wanting Jacky there to help her, but that was how their friendship worked. Mutually beneficial, mental health buddies. Reminders to each other that they are worth it. Reminders to take medication and go talk to a therapist. Calls in the middle of the night when one of them couldn’t sleep. Taking each other out when the other was in danger of secluding themselves too much. 

And as much as she needed Jacky, Jacky needed her too. And Kaylee was about to break that trust that they’d built over the seven years, all because she couldn’t get past one semester of classes. And how utterly pathetic was that? 

“Okay Kayl I’m ready!” Kaylee forced herself to sit up, taking a breath. But she could worry about all that later. 

* * *

“My son, Tyler, has been missing for almost three weeks.” Her name was Pauline Jones and she worked as a cleaning lady for a nearby law firm. “Last time he called me was March 21st at 9 PM and I haven’t heard anything from him since.”  

Jacky was now seated at her desk, looking at the picture Pauline had given her while Kaylee took notes on the couch. In the picture, Tyler wore blue graduation robes and had his arm around his mother, both smiling at the camera. He was around 23 years old, short and handsome, black eyes bright and full of promise. He had a birth mark in the corner of his nose and she could see a tattoo peeking out of the robe falling on his left arm. 

“Did you file a report with the police?” Jacky asked, handing the picture back to Pauline. The woman shook her head. “No, he wasn’t in Chicago… there was no way they could help.” 

“Do you know Tyler’s last known location?” Normally Jacky took notes herself, but Kaylee had volunteered to do it ‘as long as I’m here’. 

“Montana.” Jacky’s eyebrows raised. “He was investigating some people who had gone missing. Y’see, he’s a detective. Like you. Or he’s trying to be one.” Pauline handed her phone to Jacky, a video of him speaking directly to the camera on it. “He and some friends have a web series… they had gone to Montana first and when he hadn’t heard from them, he decided to go looking.” 

“And none of this was reported to the police?” Pauline shook her head. “Not that I know, maybe he contacted them in Missoula.” 

“Right, CPD doesn’t have jurisdiction there.” Jacky sat forward, watching the video as she was speaking. “So, he was looking for his friends… are these them?” She paused the video on an image of three young people, two women and one man. 

Pauline nodded. “He usually does all that recording and editing stuff. But he started to get worried when nothin’ was uploaded in a week.” Pauline had a gum wrapper in her hand she was making small tears in, her eyes creased with worry. “I told him not to go but he was-… he’s a stubborn boy.” 

Jacky chewed on her lip, from what it sounded like, this was above her pay grade. Four missing persons in a completely different state. Pauline hadn’t taken her eyes off Jacky since Kaylee’d let her in, her expression pleading. She needed to find her son, at least know what happened to him. 

Jacky should have told her then and there that she couldn’t take the job, no need to give the poor woman false hope. But instead she took a breath, “Do you know anything about what he was investigating?” 

Pauline’s eyes brightened a bit, but she shook her head. “No. Tyler he… he said something about this place called Eden. Eden’s Gate, I think. Sounded like a religious organization-“ Jacky had already pulled out her phone, doing a google search. “I looked already, there isn’t much. Just a location and attorney’s number.”  

Jacky book-marked the page and looked up at Pauline. “Did Tyler suspect this group was kidnapping people?” 

Pauline pursed her lips, but she nodded. Jacky glanced over at Kaylee, seeing the same worried expression on her face as Pauline. This was  _really_  above her pay grade. 

“Ma’am,” Jacky started with a sigh, “Are you sure you don’t want to get the police involved? They’d be able to do more than I could. They could get search warrants, put out APB’s-“ 

“That’s what I told Tyler and he said it wouldn’t work.” Pauline’s eyes shone, realizing Jacky couldn’t help her. “He said there must have been some sort of cover up- please.” She leaned forward, looking teary-eyed. “Please, you’re all I have left. I know you were a former officer- you’re the best detective in the city.” She started to open her pocket book. “I took out my entire life savings. You can have all of it- just please,  _please_ , find my son.” 

“Oh no- Pauline you don’t need to- just-“ Jacky looked over at Kaylee and Kaylee spoke up. “Could you give us a minute please, Mrs. Jones?” Pauline was still clutching the money she had taken out and she nodded. Jacky stood, heading to the bathroom while Kaylee followed behind her. Kaylee shut the bathroom door, turning to Jacky. “This is really serious, Jacky.” 

“You don’t think I know that?” Jacky didn’t mean to snap at Kaylee. She let out a breath. “Sorry… you know this isn’t the kind of job I usually take.” 

“It’s nothing you haven’t done before, Jacks.” Kaylee took a step closer, lowering her voice. “I know you don’t like being reminded, but you were a cop before. You’ve handled cases like these.” 

“… not for a long time.” Jacky wasn’t looking at her. “Fuck- Kaylee, Montana? Religious cults who kidnap people? I take pictures of people fucking so my clients can get the most out of their divorces- I don’t do cop stuff anymore.” Jacky said, emphasizing the word _don’t_. 

Kaylee stared at Jacky for a moment and then shook her head, a small smile on her lips. “I don’t know why we’re having this conversation if you’ve already made up your mind. You’re taking this case.”  

Jacky didn’t respond for a minute and then she let out a groan. “Ah, fuck me….” She moved past Kaylee, going out of the bathroom and back into the living room. “Okay, Pauline, here’s the thing…” Pauline was already standing, ready to beg Jacky, but she held up a hand. “I’ll take your case… but I want you to keep your money. You can pay me back when I find him.” That was a lie, there was no way she was taking any of the woman’s money. 

Pauline’s eyes filled with tears, “Oh thank you _thank you_ -“ She stepped forward to embrace Jacky, but Jacks took a step back clearing her throat. “I’ve got your phone number, I’ll send you updates when I get to Montana. Could you send me a picture of Tyler, so I can show it around?” 

Pauline nodded, “Of course- thank you so much-“ This time she managed to wrap her arms around Jacky. Jacky was rigid, but she tolerated the hug, knowing the other woman needed it more than she did.  

“I’m going with you.” Kaylee told her, after Pauline had left. 

“Yeah fucking right.” Jacky moved into her bedroom, grabbing her suitcase from the closet.  

“I am.” Kaylee said, firmly, following her. “I’m serious, Montana is 20 hours away are you really gonna drive that all by yourself? I know for a fact you’re hungover as shit too and the next bar you see you’ll definitely stop inside. Then how are you gonna get there?” 

“I’ll get a motel.” Jacky put her suitcase on the bed. “Don’t you need to go to school?” 

“It won’t kill me to take a couple days off.” Kaylee was very aware at that moment she was missing her bursar’s appointment. 

“And what will your parents say to that?”  

Kaylee narrowed her eyes at Jacky. “That was a low blow. They don’t control me.” 

“Well they think they do.” Jacky looked up at her friend. “If they don’t think you’re serious about school, they’ll stop paying. You’ve told me about this.” 

“It’ll be a week max. I’ll tell them I was doing well so I took an early spring break.” 

“Oh, so now you’ll be  _lying_ to your parents.” 

“Stop changing the subject, I’m not letting you go to Montana alone.” Kaylee slammed the suitcase shut before Jacky could start packing, forcing her to look up. “I’m  _going_  with you.” 

Jacky’s nostrils flared, and she gritted her teeth. But Kaylee wasn’t backing down. “I’m not getting paid for this, you know.” 

Kaylee shrugged, “You’ll find a way to pay for me.” 

Jacky rolled her eyes, giving her friend a smirk. “So, now I’m paying for you?” But she wasn’t going to say no now. Jacky forced her suitcase open. “Go home and pack, I’ll pick you up in an hour.” 

Kaylee smiled, “C’mon, it’s a road trip, Jacks. It might be fun!” 

“You never think road trips are fun.” Kaylee giggled, and she left the room. “Take your medication!” Jacky shouted after her, her phone vibrating in her pocket. She looked down at it with a slight frown. 

… 

1 new message from Fran. 

Jacky dropped her phone, going to her side table and taking out the emergency bottle she had in there.  _Guess I’m going to fucking Montana_ , she thought to herself as she uncapped the bottle and took a long swig. 

* * *

The day passed by slowly, the only times Jay moving from their desk was to go use the bathroom. They used the time not doing paperwork to chat with Pratt and Nancy. Hudson was still closed off, but Jay was determined to crack her shell. At one point, the Sheriff took Hudson out of the station, saying they got a call about a property dispute that was starting to turn sour. Jay didn’t mind the slow work, but the station didn’t have any windows and after ten hours, they really wanted to stretch their legs outside. 

As they were packing up their knapsack, Hudson approached them. “Nancy said you walked here this morning.” It wasn’t really a question, but Jay jumped at the opportunity, nodding. “Uh y-yeah. My-“ 

“You don’t have a car?” 

“U-uh…” Jay shook their head. “I don’t really like driving if I don’t need to. I lived close to the station in Missoula and if I needed to go somewhere my girlfriend would drive me.” 

Hudson raised her eyebrows. “And you walked all the way here from Missoula.” 

“Y-yeah?” 

Hudson looked at them like Jay had sprouted a new head. A slow smile crawled on her lips. “You’re really gonna walk all the way back?” 

“I- I mean, there aren’t any Ubers out here….” Jay said weakly. 

“You really are nuts, Rook.” But Hudson was still smiling. “I’ll drive you home tonight. You really should get a place closer to the station.” 

Jay broke out into a smile. “Oh my god, thank you! Really, you’ll never have to do it again-“ 

“And that is bullshit. I’m not gonna have you walk here every morning, when it would only take me an extra half hour.” Hudson moved back toward her desk and grabbed her jacket. “You ready? Pratt’s got the late shift tonight.” 

Jay nodded, tugging their own brown leather jacket on. “Yeah I’m all good.” 

“And listen,” Hudson said, her tone becoming serious. “If you really need a place to stay, my roommate moved out over a month ago and I’ve been looking for someone to share rent with. It’s just a spare room but it’s ten minutes away.” 

“…y-you mean it?” Holy shit, this is turning out to be such a good day. Jay grinned. “Yeah! I mean sure- that would be great, thanks.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Hudson grabbed her keys, waving to Pratt as she led the way down the aisle, Jay following behind. 

As they were approaching the doors to the lobby, Jay heard shouting in the direction of the interrogation room. They stopped, peeking around the corner to see the Sheriff arguing with a bald man in an army camo jacket. 

“Goddammit Earl!” The man was shouting, gesturing wildly. “First, they take our land, then our guns, now they’re fucking taking our people!” 

“Christ, Dutch, there’s nothing we can do about it! They bought the land and weapons legally. My hands are tied.” 

“Fuck that! I know you heard about what happened to the Blaires last week!” 

“That is a missing persons case, we don’t have any more information!” 

“Because you don’t  _want_  to know what fucking happened to them-“ 

“Hey, Rook! You coming?” Jay’s head whipped up and they jogged forward to meet Hudson. “Sorry- … do you know what that was about?” 

Hudson glanced over her shoulder. “Who, Dutch? He’s in here every week or so bothering the Sheriff. Seems to think the government is conspiring to steal his water.” 

“Oh…” Jay frowned, fiddling with the zipper on their jacket as they followed Hudson out to the parking lot. “Didn’t sound like what they were arguing about. He was saying something about people being taken?” 

“Didn’t take you for an eavesdropper.” Hudson unlocked her Volkswagen, waiting until they were both inside the car to answer Jay’s question. “There’s this group called the Project at Eden’s Gate. Folks around here call them Peggies. Started out small about five years ago but they’ve been growing and buying up the land around ever since. People are starting to get scared.” 

“Of what?” 

Hudson shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me.” She turned on the engine. “So, Rookie, where to?” 

Maybe it was because Hudson was using it, but Jay was starting to like their new nickname. They gave Hudson the address, looking back at the station with a frown. Hudson didn’t seem too concerned about this ‘project’, but Jay didn’t know… they had an itch that something more was going on. 

* * *

It was the first warm night in quite a while when Alli received her baptism. She stood by the bank of the Henbane with six others, all clothed in either white undershirts or gowns. All with the same nervous behavior- shifting on their feet, looking at the ground, playing with their fingers or the hems of their clothing. Alli is no different as she fiddled with her sleeve, biting her lip. A part of her knew that she should be showing nothing but gratitude for the acceptance she has received- but at the same time of the seven of them standing at the river bank, she was the newest to join the flock. 

“Joseph has chosen you.” A woman named Amber told her earlier. Amber was a loyal lieutenant of the Siren, who had been guiding Alli through her induction into the Project. “You have nothing to worry about. In fact, it’s an honor to receive baptism this early in the process of atonement.” 

Alli wasn’t so sure how much of it was an honor and how much was a test from Joseph to see if she will prove her loyalty.  

The Baptist, John, was knee deep in the water already, the Book of Joseph open in his hands. As he read out a prayer for their new family members, workers picked up green barrels and poured their contents into the river. It’s not exactly a liquid, solid, or gas, but more of a combination of the three. It turned the water a cloudy green color before settling.  

Off to the side stood the Father with his two other siblings. Faith, the beautiful Siren, smiled brightly at those lined up to receive baptism, her head tilted in wonder like a child’s would be. The Soldier, Jacob, however had his arms crossed, regarding the recruits with a harsh glare. They’re being judged, Alli realized, judged for their worth. The Baptist raised his hand, beckoning the first in the line into the water. Without being told to, the men on the sides carrying guns pushed them forward. The water went up to Alli’s ankles and her head became foggy.  _Must have to do with whatever they put in the water_ …. 

There were four in line before her. John would ask them a few questions about their loyalty to the project and then dunk them into the water. After they had emerged, dazed and drenched, they would be guided to the vans near the river, each going to a different region under a different Herald. 

Alli didn’t feel ready when it was her turn. It was something about the water that was making her woozy. Bright spots appeared in her vision as she approached the Baptist, now waist deep in the water, the skirt of her nightgown rising above her knees.  

John smiled at her- she could tell how people found him handsome, but there was a cold cruelness behind his eyes. “Do you swear to serve God and his Chosen for the rest of your days?” 

 “I will.” Alli briefly remembered when she mentioned to Amber that this sounded more like a marriage ceremony than a baptism. Amber didn’t find that as funny as she did. 

“Do you swear to honor and obey Joseph, the Messenger of God, and his Heralds?” 

“I will.” 

“Will you protect your brothers and sisters at Eden’s Gate even if that means giving your own life?” 

Alli had to swallow hard. It was one thing practicing the recitations, it was another doing it for real. “I will….” 

John raised his hands to the sky. “Oh, Lord, take this lamb as your new servant.” He handed the book off to another man in the water and looked at Alli. “Are you ready?” 

Before Alli could answer, John had grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her under the water. Alli had barely a moment to prepare herself and the air she sucked in was not enough to sustain her. After only a few seconds, the breath went out through her nose and her lungs were left empty. Soon her chest began to hurt, the lack of air starting a panic. She brought her hands up to John’s wrist, but he held her under firmly as she started to thrash. 

On land, Jacob leaned close to Joseph to speak to him. “You’re sure about this one?” Daughter of the preacher that opposed the project since the beginning. 

“Everyone deserves a chance for redemption.” Joseph said, watching John complete Alli’s baptism. “Especially one who is so lost.” 

“Father,” Faith spoke up. “I know you wished for her continued education to be in my bunker but… she has started asking questions. About her parents.” 

“Perhaps its best if she’s moved then.” Jacob mused. “Until she can forget about them.” 

Joseph nodded in agreement. “I’ll inform John after the baptism. He’ll find a place for her in his territory.” 

Finally, when Alli thought she could last no longer, the Baptist pulled her out of the water. Gasping for air, Alli felt a stab of rage at him- he’d almost drowned her! He’d almost  _kill-_  

And then the Bliss took over. 

A heavy fog descended on Alli’s mind- her vision became tinted green and mist drew in around her. She felt… good. Happy. At Peace. She had completely forgotten what she was angry about.  

 _Welcome to the Bliss._  

John smiled at her and she smiled back as he walked her back to land. He handed her off to someone else, so he could go back into the water. Alli looked to the side to see Joseph approaching her with a smile of his own. He was so good to her, so accepting, so forgiving. 

 _This is where you belong._  

That was a woman’s voice not hers. Alli wondered why there was a different voice in her head, as she also heard what sounded like a child’s bubbly giggle. Joseph framed her face in his hands. “You have done so well, my child.” He told her, his voice echoing. “Welcome to our family. Welcome to Eden’s Gate.” 

Joseph turned to the man holding Alli. “She’ll be going to the Valley to complete her atonement.”  

“Yes, Father.” Even through the haze 0f the Bliss, Alli couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She looked over at Jacob, but he paid her no mind as she was taken away. Did he not want her there? Did she fail whatever test he set for her? She shouldn’t be too concerned but there was just… something about him. She wanted to know what it was. 

She was helped into the van and sat down alongside one other initiate. As she leaned back, Alli thought to herself  _I shouldn’t expect to get everything I wan- … I wan. . . ._  

Her vision swum into black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Lyrics in this chapter are from Tom Misch's "It Runs Through Me."


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls begin to discover the secrets of Hope County, as well as hiding secrets from each other. Jay meets some of the locals.

When Jacky pushed open the door to the rest stop McDonald’s, she discovered it had started to drizzle. She ducked her head, wishing she’d put her hood up, as she ran for her Jeep, getting in to the driver’s seat before the rain started to come down harder.  

“Okay bacon McGriddle, hash brown and hot chocolate.” She said, handing Kaylee her order. “And regular sausage sandwich not tainted by fake syrup and coffee for me.” She looked over at Kaylee. “We all set?” 

Kaylee nodded her head, avoiding Jacky’s eyes as she took her food, tearing off a piece of her hash brown but not eating it.  

“...something wrong?” 

“Nope, nothing at all. Nothing is wrong.” Kaylee said, speaking a little too quickly. Jacky narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to question her further, when she noticed that her phone was on the dashboard. Not plugged into the charger like she left it. 

She picked it up with a sigh. “You looked at my phone.” 

“I didn’t mean to! I needed to charge mine and yours was plugged in. And I just glanced down at it when the screen lit up....” Kaylee looked over to see Jacky with her lips pursed, staring out the front windshield. “...are you mad?” 

“What? No... no! I just... there was a message I haven’t listened to yet. I was keeping it on the screen to remind me....” 

“...it was from Fran wasn’t it?” 

“...mhmm.” 

Kaylee nodded, “You know she... she might just be checking up on you.” 

“Good for her.” 

“Jacky it’s been more than a year-” 

“I will listen to it when I’m ready, Kayl.” Jacky interrupted her, putting her phone in her back pocket before starting the engine. She stayed silent as she maneuvered them back onto the interstate, ending the conversation. Kaylee looked at her another moment longer before settling back into the seat and turning on the radio. She flipped through a couple stations before going to satellite, unwrapping her sandwich when she found a song she knew Jacks would like. 

 _Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabe,_   

 _There' something tragic about you,_   

 _Something so magic about you._   

 _Don't you agree?_   

 _Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabe,_   

 _There's something lonesome about you,_   

 _Something so wholesome about you_   

 _Get closer to me._  

“Hey, can you unwrap my sandwich for me?” 

Kaylee took the wrapping off Jacky’s sandwich, handing it over to her as she drove. “Thanks.” Jacky took a bite of it, making sure to not press so hard on the gas as the rain fell. “I did some research last night while you were driving. I couldn’t sleep so I went on my laptop.” 

Kaylee bit her lip, she wished Jacky would talk about what was bothering her. It’s better than bottling it up. 

Of course, she’s a fucking hypocrite when it comes to bottling things up. “Whatcha find?” 

“It took some digging, but I finally netted the man in charge’s name. Joseph Seed.” Jacky spoke between bites of her sandwich as Kaylee listened, barely touching her food. Sometimes the medication she was on made everything unappetizing. “Not much on him. He was born in Georgia, went into foster care as a kid and didn’t get out of the system until he was 18. Not sure what he did then, maybe worked a few odd jobs but in 2002 he was admitted to a psych ward because he was ‘hearing the voice of God’.” 

“Cool cool cool- all totally normal things.” 

“Oh yeah he’s the perfect image of mental health, just like we are.” Jacky said, flashing a wry smile in Kaylee’s direction. “Anyway, at some point he must have gotten out cause then in 2012 he starts an extremist group called Eden’s Gate. Couldn’t find much more with regular Google. I’d need government access to get into his foster files. But it’s like... it’s like the guy didn’t exist until five years ago.” 

“Weird....” 

“Gets weirder.” Jacky grimaced as she had to hit the brakes. “Fuck- sorry. Fucking asshole wasn’t using his blinker.” The traffic seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace. 

“Probably an accident up ahead.” Kaylee looked at Jacky. “You said it gets weirder.” 

“Oh yeah, so I called the attorney’s number-” 

“Wait when did you call?!” 

“While you were sleeping at like 2 AM. He didn’t answer of course, cause it was 2 AM, but the voicemail recording of him said his name was John Seed. He also had an Atlanta area code.” 

“...so that tells us what?”  

“I started looking up lawyers named John who lived and/or worked in Atlanta. Only found one.” Jacky picked up Kaylee’s phone, handing it to her. “John Duncan. Go ahead look him up.” 

Kaylee raised her eyebrow but the typed the name into the search bar. “That is Joseph’s younger brother.” Jacky told her, keeping her eyes on the highway so she can move when the rest of the traffic decided to. “He must have been adopted and had his last name changed. There’s a lot more on him. I think Joseph has an older brother as well, but I couldn’t find shit on him.” 

“This is good though, Jacks....” Kaylee grinned. “Holy shit you  _are_ a good detective.” 

Jacky chuckled, flattered. “I mean anyone with a smart phone and a decent search engine can find what I found. I’m hoping when we get to Hope County we’ll find some more.” 

“Did you look up newspaper articles?” 

“I tried. Hope County looks like they keep their news specifically in print.” Out of the corner of her eye, Jacky noticed Kaylee was staring at her. “...what?” 

Kaylee ducked her head, “It’s just... you seem like you really miss doing this. Being like... you know an actual detective.” 

Jacky pressed her lips together and tried to shrug it off. “I’m just stubborn... and it’s hard to sleep in cars.” Jacky cleared her throat. “But we uh should try to be careful. Joseph seems like a real Jim Jones type. We find Tyler or find out what happened to him and we haul ass. Let the locals deal with the rest.” 

Kaylee was typing on her phone, looking up any current events that may have been relevant in Montana. “It just seems impossible to me that no one has picked up on this. I mean, this is the first I’ve heard of a massive religious cult in the northwest.” 

“No demands, no threats of bombing or mass suicide.” Jacky rolled her eyes. “And let’s be honest, it’s a bunch of white people in charge. The major media isn’t gonna care until the guns start going off.” 

Kaylee made a noise of disgust. “God....” She leaned back in her seat, putting her phone down and looking out the window. The song went into its instrumental bridge, Kaylee watching the landscape change as they drove through North Dakota. It was nice to get out of the city. Kaylee liked Jacky and she liked having some many things within reach... but cities were not for her. She liked the quiet. 

 _Innocence died screaming, honey ask me I should know_  

 _I slithered here from Eden just to hide outside your door...._  

“I think it would be nice...” Kaylee started as the last song was fading away.  

“Hm... what would be nice?” 

Kaylee shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe after we find out what happened to Tyler, we can take a  _real_  road trip. I mean... I moved halfway across the country and I’ve barely seen any of it. I think it would be good for us.” 

Jacky smiled. “That’s a good idea. We can go after you graduate. Before you enter the world of major statistics and all those other smart people things you do.” 

Now it was Kaylee’s turn to purse her lips. She looked back out the window, growing quiet. 

“...Kayl? Hey- you take your meds?” 

“Huh...” The question took a second to register with her and Kaylee shook her head. “Yeah I should do that....” 

“...is there... is there something wrong, Kayl?” Jacky’s tone shifted from amused to concerned. “There something you need to talk about?” 

“No, no I’m okay. Just feeling a little drowsy.” Mental-health buddies they were, not very good ones this time around. 

“Take your meds. Drink your hot chocolate it’s gonna get cold.” Jacky drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. “We should be there in less than eight hours.” 

Kaylee nodded, reaching back and unzipping the bag with her prescription in it. She took the medication, sipping her not-so-hot hot chocolate and sitting back in her seat. Eight hours... eight hours of avoiding the problems they should really talk about. 

Yay. Road trip.  

* * *

They could hear the fight happening before they saw it. Pratt stopped the car at the entrance to the F.A.N.G center, hurrying to unbuckle his seatbelt. “Sounds like it escalated quicker than we thought.” He said, taking his gun out and heading through the entrance. Jay followed suit, running to catch up with Pratt’s pace, fumbling to take their gun out of its holster. 

After the nothing first day they had yesterday, Jay was surprised when the Sheriff assigned them to a brawl that had broken out at the F.A.N.G center. “Hurk Drubman,” Whitehorse said with an unintended eyeroll. “Was holding a rally there and a bunch of project members in the district showed up. Apparently, he’s been encouraging folks to destroy their property and they aren’t too happy about. Stop it before it really gets bad. All of Drubman’s voters have open carry licenses and Eden’s Gate ain’t too shy around guns neither.” Jay and Pratt left the station followed by Hudson in the police van. The holding cells were not going to be empty tonight. 

Jay didn’t hear any guns going off but as they get closer, they see a crowd of people formed around a cage where three men are fighting. They pushed through the crowd, realizing its not three men fighting but two against one with an older man up on the stairs, cheering the lone man on. Except the lone man was losing and the older man wasn’t so much cheering as he was berating his performance. 

“YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH! HIT ‘EM! HIT ‘EM IN THE BALLS! KICK HIM WHILE HE’S DOWN! DAMN BOY I’VE WASTED MY TIME ON YOU!” 

“All right break it up- BREAK IT UP!” Pratt pushed the door open, grabbing one of the fighters before he could throw a punch. “That’s enough! You made your point!” Jay followed in Pratt, handcuffs out, kneeling down to the loser. He had blood spewing from his nose and a red mark on his jaw. They did a real number on him. 

“Fuckin Peggies-” The old man pointed at Pratt and Jay, “They’re fuckin’ my district up, you better fuckin’ lock em’ up a long time-” 

“You’re the one who has been attacking our trucks!” The man in white that Pratt was guarding shouted up. “Interfering in business where you don’t belong.” 

“My fuckin’ business is the voters’ business!” The old man walked down the stairs to cheering from the civilians in the crowd. “My good for nothing spawn couldn’t beat you but I sure as hell can still put your ass in the ground!” 

“Mr. Drubman that is enough!” Jay was surprised to see how firm Pratt was, holding the man in white back from leaping out of the cage toward Hurk Drubman Sr. “If you want to spend the night in jail keep talking! But until then you let us handle our business!” 

The man on the ground started to stir and Jay placed a hand on his shoulder. “You all right?” 

“Uuuuuuuuugh- daddy?” The man opened his eyes, looking to the older Drubman. “Daddy did- did I win?” 

The old man threw his hands up in the air, “What the fuck am I gonna do with you! Can’t even go one round with a buncha pansy-ass liberals.” 

“Everyone clear out!” Pratt ordered. “Go back to your business, nothing more to see here!” The crowd continued to rile with hatred as they dispersed, civilians going one way, Peggies going the other. Pratt cuffed the two men in white and then turned around with a sigh. “Christ, Hurk, you know you don’t always have to do what he tells you.” 

“Is that Deputy Pratt?” Hurk’s eyes lit up and he staggered up to his feet, Jay was frankly surprised he could move. “Oh, hey man how’s it going! You get to see how I finished those guys at the end! Pretty bitchin’ right?” 

Pratt shook his head, “Pretty bitchin’.” Hudson approached the cage, glancing at Hurk before speaking to Pratt. “I’ll take these two with me. You two have got Hurk.” She looked at Jay. “He’s dumb as a box of rocks but harmless if he likes you. It’s his old man you gotta watch out for.” 

“Hey hey Deputy Hudson- I don’t suppose you’ve reconsidered going out for some dinner sometime. Hell, I’ll even let you pay for yourself cause you know I fully support equal rights for women and all that.” 

Hudson rolled her eyes. “Always good to see you Hurk.” Without asking for help, she grabbed the two other men, walking them to the van herself. 

“Rookie put the cuffs on him.” Pratt looked apologetic. “Sorry, Hurk, you know its procedure.” 

“Aww it’s okay man, I know you’re just doin’ your job, you don’t mean anythin’ by it.” Hurk held his hands out in front of him. Jay glanced at Pratt but shrugged and put the cuffs on.  

Hurk gave them a grin. “Oh, you must be the new guy, I heard about you transferring last time me and Sharky were down at the station. Sharky’s my cousin and we get into all kinds of good shit together. The good shit I’m talkin’ about was some real good shit involving a certain green herb and a lot of fireworks... might have started a forest fire. Sorry, ‘bout that.” 

Jay really couldn’t help the smile that grew on their face as they took Hurk by the shoulder, guiding him to the police cruiser. Pratt walked ahead, making sure everyone had cleared out. 

“What’s your name if you don’t mind me askin’? You don’t gotta tell me, I stand by everyone’s right to choose. Hudson still hasn’t told me her name yet but hey I don’t mind. I usually call everyone by a nickname anyway.” 

“Deputy Parrish.” Jay finally managed to stay when Hurk took a breath for air. “And if you don’t mind  _me_  asking, why did you get in that fight?” 

Hurk shrugged, “Everyone hates the Peggies. They come an’ disrupt Daddy’s speech and he got  _pissed_. I’m always tryin’ to make him proud of me but y’can see how that usually goes....” Hurk ducked his head and Jay moved him into the backseat. “Y’know I tried to join up with the Peggies earlier but then they told me no more alcohol or drugs or for-ni-ca-tion. So, I hightailed it outta there- big disappointment though they looked like they were havin’ cool parties.” 

Pratt wasn’t even trying to hold back his smile as Jay got into the passenger’s seat. “Yes, he’s always like this.” He said before Jay could ask. Jay smirked, looking at Hurk through the rearview mirror. “How do you know Deputy Pratt?” 

“He’s arrested me... what six times now?” Pratt nodded. “Hudson can’t put up with the talking.” 

“And you can?” Jay asked. 

Pratt shrugged. “I find it charming.” He said with a grin in their direction. He started up the car, following behind Hudson in the van. 

“Besides that, I seen him at the Spread Eagle a few times. Dude, like, if you ever need a partner for beer pong, Staci is definitely your guy, aren’t I right Stace?” 

Pratt coughed. “Uh, okay maybe that’s enough of the personal talk.”  

Jay chuckled, “I’ll be sure to ask him to be my partner next time.” 

“Hey Deputy Parrish?” 

Jay craned their neck to look back at Hurk. “Yeah Hurk?” 

Hurk was leaning back in the seat, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world even with handcuffs on. “Jus’ curious cause you are a fine lookin’ person and I don’t wanna be assumin’ anyone’s gender or sexuality, but are you single?” 

“. . .yeah, I’m single.” Jay had some bitterness to their tone. They’d been smiling until Hurk had asked. They sighed. “My girlfriend dumped me over the weekend.” 

“Oh man that sucks dude! I totally get where you’re comin’ from man- I've had my share of heartbreaks. This one time I was goin’ out with this girl and she-” 

Pratt looked over at Jay as Hurk rambled. “...you okay?” He spoke quickly. “I mean, I don’t know you very well but you seem like you’ve had a rough time lately.” 

Jay swallowed, “I’ll be fine. Getting dumped sucks. Being homeless sucks, but I’ve done it before. Didn’t kill me the last time it won’t kill me now.” 

Pratt slowed to break for a stop light and then turned to Jay fully. “You ever need to talk about it, I’m all ears. And if you ever need to distract yourself, I know how to help with that too.” 

Jay gave him a wry smile. “Let me guess, beer pong?” 

Pratt laughed with a shake of his head, his shaggy hair flying. “Hurk I shoulda put a muzzle on you.” 

“Aw man don’t do that! Last time my lips got so dry I had to drink half a gallon of beer- course then I really had to pee....” 

* * *

Jacky looked over the gas station pump with a frown. “No card reader.” She says, turning around. “I’ll have to go inside. You want anything?” 

“Diet coke please!” Kaylee was sitting in the passenger’s seat, where she’d been for the last eight hours. Jacky insisted on driving the rest of the way while she still had the energy. Though Kaylee was almost certain she was going off zero hours of sleep. Not that Kaylee had gotten much sleep herself. 

Jacky gave her a thumbs up, reaching in through the open window to grab her wallet before moving toward the gas station store. A bell jingled when she opened the door inward. There was a line of four people at the counter so instead she walked back toward the coolers to pick some drinks up first. She grabbed a diet coke and an energy drink for herself from the cooler, turning to move down the snack aisle.  

As she perused the snacks, a big white truck drove up beside the Jeep Kaylee was sitting in. Kaylee glanced over from her phone seeing three men get out of the truck. Two were dressed in white shirts but one wore a long black duster. They all had face tattoos but Kaylee wasn’t trying to look too hard at what they were. Instead of filling up the tank they went for the diesel pumps. “Fuckin’ Peggies.” She heard from a woman standing outside, smoking a cigarette. Kaylee looked back down at her phone. There was no Wi-Fi at the gas station and she was down to a bar of data. Most she could do was play solitaire at the moment but that beat talking to anyone. 

Although she was getting the feeling the man in the duster was staring at her. 

Jacky walked back up front where the cashier was chatting with his customer. As she waited, she looked up at the TV in front of the register. It was some type of religious program on, the man at the front of the cathedral preaching about the end times. He was wearing a gray suit jacket but his hair was up in a bun which gave him a kind of grungy (and not the 90’s kind) look. He had yellow sunglasses on and the lights hit his eyes, making the blue in them jump out. 

“The Collapse will be upon us. It may be in days, weeks, years but it  _will_  come and when it does, we will be prepared. Because we walk the true path!” The crowd behind the camera cheered and he let it go on before holding up a hand for quiet. “I have heard the Voice of God. He has Chosen me to save you. My family will save you. Join us and we will march together into Ed-” 

“Miss? You need to be checked out?” Jacky’s head snapped up when the cashier spoke. She’d just seen who Joseph Seed is. “Y-yeah...” She moved up to the register, heart pounding in her ears. 

Back outside, Kaylee was sinking into her seat. The tension from when the white truck had shown up had only grown. Civilians who pulled in would mutter and cuss under their breaths at the men in white. The men would throw murderous glares back and forth. Kaylee had never been in a fight before but the threat of violence was in the air. 

And that man  _was_ staring at her.  

She didn’t even have to look at him to know- she'd gotten the look from men before, sizing the girl up, finding out a way to corner her, trap her in a social situation that calls her to be polite. As much as she didn’t want to look, her eyes betrayed her and she glanced over. He noticed her from his station near the truck and stood up straighter. 

 _Fuck_ _fuck_ _\- don't come over here_. 

And at that moment, Jacky chose to walk out of the store, sunglasses on, Kaylee’s diet coke in hand. She glanced over at the men carrying over fuel cannisters to a truck with... that’s a lot of fuel. What do they need all that for? She moved to her Jeep, not noticing how nervous Kaylee was. She took the pump out, placing it back in the holder. 

“Pardon me, little lady.” The man who was looking at Kaylee had now walked up to the car. Kaylee had slid down about as far into the seat as she could so he turned his attention on Jacks. “Have you heard the Good Word about Eden’s Gate?” 

Now, this is where Kaylee would stammer and get trapped into a conversation. Jacky however just looked up with him with a disinterested expression. “Have you heard about whitening strips? They’d do you a lot more good.” She moved past him and got into the driver’s seat, starting the car and driving away without another word in his direction. 

Kaylee was covering her mouth with her hands trying to hold back the laughter but as they pulled away from the gas station, she let it out. “What the fuck was that guy’s deal?” 

“No fucking idea. I hate small towns.” Jacky said with a grimace. “Here’s your diet coke. You know that stuff can kill you.” 

“What doesn’t?” Kaylee uncapped the bottle, taking a big sip. She was still rattled, looking over at Jacky. “Those guys were super creepy. They had like a dozen fuel cannisters in that truck. There was something else... the people around them kept calling them Peggies.” 

“The fuck’s a Peggy?” Jacky made a turn, driving faster than needed down the road. “I saw something hella weird in that store too. Joseph Fucking Seed. He was on the TV.” She told Kaylee as an explanation. “He was preaching about something called the Collapse no one but ‘Chosen’ would survive, usual fire and brimstone stuff but... there was something different about him. I didn’t see the crowd but it sounded like a lot of people were there. Also,” She added after a moment. “If he’s got access to broadcasting then he’s got a lot more reach than we first thought.” 

“So, what are you thinking?” Jacky was silent for such a long time, Kaylee didn’t think she heard the question.  

“I’m gonna keep going.” She finally answered. “Pauline needs to know what happened to her son. But if you’re getting uncomfortable, just say the word and we’ll go.” 

Kaylee shook her head. “I’m with you all the way on this one.” She meant that. 

“In that case, we got a destination.” Jacky turned sharply, scaring a deer on the side of the road. “Guy at the gas station said that if we’re looking for someone, Falls End is a good place to start.” 

Kaylee nodded, drinking her Coke and looking back out the window. As they passed a billboard, she noticed that a black flag with a white cross was draped over it. With four words written underneath: 

WELCOME TO EDEN’S GATE 

* * *

“An’ that’s how I ended up buck naked, tied to a hog, on top of the Cheeseburger statue, in broad daylight, with my fishing pole still in the hawk’s nest.” Jay liked Hurk, but the guy had  _not stopped talking_ since they got into the station. They almost had him processed but getting his full statement without him going off on a tangent was difficult. 

“A-again, fun story, not really relevant.” Jay pinched the bridge of their nose. “Why don’t we just go back to the start of your dad’s rally?” 

“Aww right man, sorry ‘bout that can’t help myself sometimes. I just keep talkin’ and talkin’ and talkin’ and pretty soon I forgotten what I’ve been talkin’ about. Reminds me of a time when I was at my mama’s-” This time Hurk managed to stop himself with a sheepish grin in Jay’s direction. “Sorry, amigo. All right, so me and Daddy got there round 11ish-” 

“Rookie!” Whitehorse was standing at the door to his office, hands on his hips. “Get in here, need a word.” 

“Yes, sir.” Jay stood up, “Be back in a sec.” They told Hurk 

“No problem, man, I don’t got anywhere else to be.” Jay moved toward the Sheriff, walking into the office. Pratt was there already, and Whitehorse closed the door behind them before turning back. “Just got a call from the Peggies’ lawyer.” Whitehorse had a grimace as he moved toward his desk. “Apparently he called the goddamn district attorney and demanded their release. D.A. didn’t roll over that easy, but he decreased their bail. Someone will be here to pick ‘em up in ten minutes.” 

“Sheriff,” Pratt stepped forward. “You cannot be serious. We can’t just release these guys. They would have killed Hurk if we hadn’t shown up.” Jay nodded in agreement, frowning. 

“Nothing I can do Pratt. John Seed’s got enough money to pay their bail ten times over.” 

“Sir.” Jay wasn’t sure what they were going to say but they were going for it anyway. “I know that Drubman initiated the fight, but Deputy Pratt is right. Those guys had the intent to kill. Hurk and his father talk loud but they didn’t want to do them serious harm.” At least Jay had the suspicion they didn’t. 

The Sheriff looked at Jay with a mixture of surprise and pity.” “Hurk Drubman is bitter old son of a bitch. His son is an idiot but... off the record, Rookie, you are right.” He shook his head. “Like I said, I can’t do anything else. We got ‘em processed, they’ll have records now. I’d let Hurk out, but his old man wants him in a cell for the night.” 

“With all due respect, sir, that’s bullshit.” Jay looked over at Pratt in shock. “We can’t let them keep getting away with this. This isn’t the only attack that’s happened.” He explained to Jay. “Sometimes it’s our people that start it, sometimes it’s them. But it’s always civilians being hurt more than those Peggies-” 

“Pratt that’s enough!” The Sheriff cut Pratt off, giving him a warning look. “I don’t wanna hear anything more about this in my office. Am I clear?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Good.” The Sheriff sat at his desk, heaving a sigh. “Their pickup will be here any minute. Now, you’re gonna release them and don’t say another word to them. Joseph Seed has already made accusations of bias against this station. We don’t need any more of those.” 

“And what about Hurk?” Jay asked. 

The Sheriff looked up at them with a frown, “He can stay here tonight. His mama will probably be by with her own money, tryin’ to beat out her ex-husband. He’ll be fine, Rookie.” He assured them. “You’re both dismissed.” 

 “Yes, sir.”  

Pratt nodded but didn’t reply as he opened the door and marched out. Jay followed behind him closing the door, getting close enough so they could whisper. “This has happened before?” 

Pratt looked over at them with a scowl. “More times than you’d think... and somehow the D.A. is always pulling the records and ‘losing them’ so we can’t officially prove anything.” He stopped with a huff. “Sorry, I just... can’t do this again. Do you mind taking care of the release?” 

Jay squinted at Pratt and then nodded. “Sure thing....”  

“I’ll get Hurk’s statement in the meantime. I’ve got more experience getting him to shut up than you do.” Pratt hesitated and then tapped Jay’s shoulder, “Keep up the good work, Rookie.” He told them before walking to Jay’s desk where Hurk was still seated, making motorcycle noises with his mouth. 

 _Something must be going on_ , Jay thought to themselves as they moved toward the copy room to grab a couple release forms. First what they had heard the Sheriff and that Dutch guy arguing about yesterday. Now this. And it was less than three hours later and the guys who’d nearly killed Hurk were being released. Now they had two names, Joseph and John Seed. Jay had never heard of them but apparently, they had enough money and power to influence a district attorney. 

When Jay walked back out of the copy room with the forms, Nancy was standing at the doors next to a man dressed similarly to the other Peggies. He was more cleaned up than the other men, his hair cut short and neat, his beard a scruff instead of unbridled. “Deputy Parrish, this man is here for the perps in question-” 

“Perps is the wrong word, I would say falsely accused victims.” The man looked Jay up and down, seemingly unimpressed. “They only went to talk to Mr. Drubman and he had his son attack them. And  _then_ they were falsely imprisoned by a corrupt sheriff.” 

 _Wow, this guy sucks_. 

“Are you John Seed?” Jay asked, attempting to be civil.  

“Mr. Seed was indisposed, at the moment, so he sent me on his behalf.” The man produced a letter from his satchel. “This should more than suffice.” Jay took the paper looking it over. The guy- Andrew- was telling the truth. 

 _There’s nothing I can do,_ that’s what the Sheriff said. And apparently these assholes knew it. 

“Okay well I’m gonna need you to fill these out-” Before Jay could finish their sentence, the man had taken out two similar forms. “Already done.” He said with a smirk. “Now, if you can please release my friends. I need to see how much you damaged them in your handling.” 

“Any injuries they received h-happened before the deputies took control.” Jay said, trying to be smooth but now fucking Andrew was getting under their skin. 

“We’ll see about that. We've had experiences with law enforcement that state otherwise.” Andrew crossed his arm, tapping his foot. “Are you going to keep me waiting or do I need to do your job for you?” 

 _WOW_  

Okay, fuck that guy very much. Jay pressed their lips together, giving Andrew a curt nod. “Just a sec...” They moved to the cells, unlocking them so the two prisoners could step out. They were each smirking too as they sauntered out, each greeting Andrew with an embrace. 

“You’ll be contacted,” Jay said, making sure that they had their hands on their hips, so they could look more in charge than they felt. “When a trial is set. If you’re arrested again, it’s straight to the county jail.” 

The two that were in a cell shared an amused look, like they were about to start laughing. Andrew rolled his eyes, “Of course  _Deputy_.” He leaned in closer to them and Jay took an involuntary step back. “When Judgement Day arrives, it won’t matter how much power you have now.” He whispered for only Jay’s ears.  “Ashes to ashes... to ashes the world will crumble. From ashes the true believers will ascend.” He shot them another smirk and moved to follow behind his friend. 

Jay and Nancy stared after them as they left, Jay looking over at the woman with wide eyes. “What the fuck did that mean?” 

“I have no idea.” Nancy shivered. “Those Eden’s Gate folks are always creepy.” 

Eden’s Gate, that just kept coming up. Jay shook themselves and then turned back into the station. For the rest of their shift, try as they could, they couldn’t get Andrew’s voice out of their heads. 

 _Ashes to ashes...._  

* * *

The Father was alone in his cabin when the call came. 

He had just finished afternoon prayers and begun to write in his journal when Selene had knocked on his door. “Father,” She said, demurely. “There’s a call for you from the Sheriff’s station.” 

“Thank you, Selene.” He picked the line, answering. “This is the Father, what is it my child?” 

Nancy spoke quietly. “Father, you said to call if there were any changes. A new deputy from Missoula arrived yesterday.” 

Joseph nodded to himself, he remembered when Nancy had informed him that Whitehorse was adding a transfer. The Sheriff had been one of many in the county who refused to hear God’s message. As such he had been keeping close tabs on the man. “Have they been contacted yet?” 

“No but they did have to break up a fight today between project members and non-believers.” Nancy must have been alone in her office to make this call, otherwise she would have waited until night. “Earl’s been getting more and more frustrated. He may start to take action. He’s not happy that the Brother John has been able to secure other members’ release.” 

“We’ll deal with him in time.” Joseph spoke with the absolute certainty and conviction that what he was doing was  _right_. “Thank you, Nancy. Make sure to send John the information on the new deputy as soon as possible.” 

“Of course, Father.”  

“What is the deputy’s name?” Joseph made sure he had a pen in hand to write it down. 

“Jay Parrish.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Lyrics in this chapter are from Hozier's "From Eden" (and also the title of this story).


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alli begins to doubt her decision. Jay reveals some of their past to a new friend. The girls discover there is something foul in Hope County. Joseph receives some startling news.

When she was sixteen and had no friends she really cared about, Alli had taken the opportunity to take her mother’s car and drive around Hope County. She’d pick a direction and drive, only stopping when there was nowhere else to go. She explored the inside of Frobisher’s Cave, hiked the trails of the Whitetail Mountains, and climbed to the very top of Raptor Peak, where she could see the entire valley spread beneath her. 

As much as her former father had preached to her, Alli had never really felt the presence of God until she had beholden that sight. 

Holland Valley was the most familiar to her. The Baptist’s bunker, however, was a new edition. John preferred not to take confessions at his home, so until further notice, Alli would reside in the bunker. Which... she really shouldn’t be so bothered by but she was. The lack of sunlight, the armed guards, the locked metal doors all made her feel more like a prisoner than a parishioner. She had followed the Father’s every command to the letter... and yet she was locked down here.  

Alli wasn’t a fan of confession either. After only two sessions with John, she was wishing she had been placed in any other region- Jacob's Whitetails, with Faith at the Henbane. Even Joseph’s compound would be preferable to the pain and humiliation she was experiencing.  

And she understood, she did, why there had to be pain with confession. It was the only way her soul could truly be cleansed if she didn’t hold anything back. Alli didn’t so much mind the pain either. It was... the weakness. The vulnerability. The way John exposed her like a scab, repeatedly letting it heal before ripping it away. Not that she had told him  _everything_  worthy of confession yet- but John seemed more interested in her experiences as a sinner, not as a victim. 

But she tried to be cooperative. Because of that, she had earned her first tattoo- the first ‘sin’ to be revealed. 

As it was, Alli was supposed to be finishing her reading of the Book of Joseph, but instead she was staring down at the four letters on her left forearm, running her thumb over the black scrawl. 

**ENVY**  

She never considered herself envious before. Alli knew that she had had it better than most in the county, being the daughter of the preacher and also one of the most beautiful women in the state- she'd won Miss Hope County four times in a row. She had nothing to be jealous of. 

But when she told John about how much she was so unsatisfied with her life, how much she hated her parents and how they had been suffocating her- he had nodded and smiled to himself, as if he had figured it out. 

“Pride is there.” He started. “There’s no denying that. But the want you have for another life- that want that kept you trapped before the Father set you free... that wasn’t Pride but  _Envy_.” 

Even as Alli looked down at the letters, she still didn’t fully agree with him. It wasn’t her place to disagree. John knew what he is doing. The Father trusted him, so should she. 

_If you spent your whole life working for a world that feeds on doubt_  

_Let the water wash away your sins_  

_And those banks keep getting bigger, while your pockets empty out_  

_Let the water wash away your sins_  

  _Can’t they play something else,_ Alli thought irritably. She’d liked Eden’s Gates songs at first but after hearing them for nearly 10 days straight, she’d rather listen to silence. 

What troubled Alli the most was that, after seeing him at the river, Joseph hadn’t made another appearance. He had other matters to attend to, she knew this. She had just hoped he might make an exception for her after what she had done for him. Not to mention Jacob- who acted like she didn’t even exist. She had no idea why she was drawn to the man- the anger that radiated off him in waves should have scared her off but it just made her more intrigued. The scars on his face that must have been there since childhood. She wanted to know more, but he wanted nothing to do with her. 

Compared to his brothers, John held nearly no interest for her. And maybe that’s why Joseph placed her here. To teach her some humility. 

A lesson Alli really didn’t want to learn. 

Alli heard a hiss as the bunker doors to the outside opened, three Eden’s Gate men walking inside. She closed the book, standing to receive them, but they seemed to not even notice she was there, moving across the entrance hallway.  

“Get to the infirmary and then report to John.” One of them had slowed behind, taking the time to wipe his feet on the welcome mat. Alli frowned as she looked him over, clear evidence of grooming on the man’s appearance. His hair was clipped shorter than most and straightened, his beard trimmed neatly. Alli knew that the men were encouraged to grow their hair out so it was a surprise to see someone disobeying Joseph’s command. 

“What happened to them?” She asked. The man side-eyed her, shrugging his jacket off and giving her an eyeroll before answering. “They were attacked by non-believers. You’re going to find our neighbors aren’t exactly a friendly bunch.” 

Alli bristled at the eyeroll, trying to move past it. “Is there anything I can do to help?” 

Andrew shook his head, “No need, they’re covered. They’ll be out and about before nightfall.” 

Alli’s frown deepened. It stung that even though she wasn’t allowed out of the bunker, there were others that were. Even more so was Andrew’s unconcerned tone. “Why would they? If they were attacked, then shouldn’t they wait a couple days and make sure the heat dies down?” 

Andrew rolled his eyes again and Alli had to bite her lip to keep from yelling. “Don’t you worry you’re pretty little head. They’re big boys, they can take care of themselves.” He looked down at the Book of Joseph Alli had left on the chair, “And you got your own matters to attend to- you should be halfway through by now. You’re falling behind.” Andrew chuckled to himself, starting to move away. “Better be careful, John hates slackers.” 

Alli’s lips curled and she stepped in front of him to block his path. “I don’t know you the hell you think you are but you should know better than to be disrespectful to me.” Her blood was boiling at his  _pretty little head_  comment. Men had been using her looks to justify walking over her for her whole life. She wasn’t going to let this asshole do it now. 

Andrew raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms. “Okay, yeah fine. I shouldn’t have been so rude. But-” He held up a hand to stop Alli from speaking. “Don’t go getting yourself a big head, Preacher’s Daughter. Yeah, I know who you are.  _Everyone_  knows who you are. The woman who gave her parents up to Eden’s Gate, because she was bored with how good she had it.” 

Alli could have slapped him then. She might have, her hands fisting the dress she wore at her sides if Andrew hadn’t continued. “Let me tell you a secret, Preacher’s Daughter-  _no one gives a shit about you_ .” Strangely, his tone held no bite- just the certainty that he must be right. “Not me, not those guys you were so concerned about.  _Especially_  not Joseph.” 

“You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.” 

Andrew looked at her silently for a moment and then shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe I have no idea what the fuck I’m talking about. Maybe I know better than everyone else in this goddamned place.” 

“How the fuck would you-” 

“He made you feel special, didn’t he?” Alli froze but Andrew kept talking. “Made you think you were the only person who mattered to him. Well, you don’t... sorry to break it to you. You were just a way to get to one of Joseph’s enemies. Your father had been making a real stink about Joseph’s family before you had them taken. Now that’s done, you’re expendable.” Andrew glanced around, “Why do you think he placed you here?” 

Alli didn’t speak, glaring at Andrew, hating the fact he was voicing her exact doubts. Andrew sighed. “But maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about.” He brushed past her, leaving Alli alone in the entrance hallway. 

_… it can’t be true. The Father he- … Andrew was lying, he must have been. He’s angry about something so he lies._  Alli didn’t know who Andrew thought he was to talk about the Father in such a blasphemous way, but she was going to find out. And she was going to bring him to justice. 

Then Joseph would prove that she mattered to him. She just knew he would.  

* * *

It was a slow, late afternoon at the Spread Eagle. Mary May was looking over some bills at the bar while Casey went about cleaning the kitchen. She wasn’t expecting anyone to come in for another hour at least. Not on a Tuesday. 

So, of course, it was a surprise when she heard the door open. Mary looked up from the papers spread out in front of her. Two young women walked inside, looking around for a moment before sitting in a nearby booth. Mary May had never seen them before so they were either from out of town or sent to spy on her by John Seed. 

From the look of the women, Mary thought it was safe to assume it was more the former than the latter. One of them was extremely pale skinned with black silk hair worn loose, covering most of her face, almost like she was trying to hide herself behind the curtain of hair. Her foot was tapping under the table, giving her the look of the nervous type. The other woman had natural curly brown hair, her skin just a touch lighter than Grace’s. She had her sunglasses pushed up on her head and she was looking down at her phone with a frown. The way she lounged back, unguarded, was a shabby contrast to the other woman who was keeping herself closed off. 

Mary May took a moment to collect her papers, depositing them in her office before she headed over to the booth. “Can I get you ladies anything to drink?” 

The black woman looked up first, clearing her throat and sitting up. “Yeah, thanks- can I do a cheeseburger and whatever IPA you got on tap?” 

“Sure thing, fries with that?” 

“Yeah.” Mary May turned to the other woman, “Anything for you, hon?” 

“Just some fries, please... do you have chocolate milk?” She asked, innocently, a bit like a kid would. 

Mary had to smile as she shook her head. “ ‘fraid I don’t.” 

“I’ll take a diet coke then, thank you.”  

Mary nodded, “I’ll get those drinks right out to you.” Definitely not Eden’s Gate. The Spread Eagle had been hurting for some extra business lately- it'd be good to have some more customers from out of town. Mary headed back behind the bar, shouting their order to Casey as she grabbed the glasses for their drinks. 

Back at the booth, Jacky went back to looking at her phone. “Are you getting a signal? 

Kaylee shook her head. “Nothing out here. I haven’t seen any places with Wi-Fi either.” 

Jacky exhaled, putting the phone in her back pocket. “That’s gonna make our research a lot harder. We should definitely look around for a library. See if they have any newspapers or microfilm.” 

“Did you notice,” Kaylee started after a moment. “All those black flags over the road signs? And none of them are here.” 

Jacky nodded. “It looks like they positioned so people didn’t know where to go... guess Eden’s Gate doesn’t have any influence in Fall’s End.” 

“That’s good at least. Those guys back at the gas station were freaking me out.” 

Jacky grimaced. “Let’s stick to this place for now and see what we find before we go venturing out. Did you see any place to stay the night?” 

“No... no motels or anything.” Kaylee bit her lip. “We can... try asking locals.” 

“Yeah....” Mary May walked out from behind the bar, setting Jacky’s beer and Kaylee diet coke down. “Thank you- excuse me?” Jacky started speaking before Mary could walk away. “Do you know why there’s no signal out here?” 

Mary May tried not to frown because she knew exactly why. “Cell towers have been out about a week now. Sorry.” 

“It’s okay, thanks.” Weird. Jacky and Kaylee exchanged a look as Mary May walked back to the kitchen. 

“...do you think-” 

“Yeah....” Jacky sighed. “I told Pauline I’d stay in contact. Maybe I can use the bar’s phone.” She grumbled, taking a sip of her beer. “I hate small towns.” 

Around five minutes later, the door opened again and a man with shaggy brown hair and aviators walked into the bar. “Hey Nick.” Mary Mary, greeted him with a smile. “Want your usual?” 

“Nah, not today. I gotta get home.” Nick walked up to the bar anyway, bending over so he could check out the taps. “Just came by to check up on my brew.” 

Mary May had known him for too long, she knew when something was bothering him. “Stay for one drink and tell me what’s going on.” As she poured the beer for him, the girls’ food came out. “Be right back.” She said, grabbing the plates and walking back toward the booth. “All right, burger and fries and just fries. You ladies need anything else you just call.” 

“Thanks.” Kaylee wrinkled her nose as she looked down at the fries she ordered.  

Jacky leaned forward, grabbing the ketchup bottle. “Eat.” 

“I’m not hungry.” 

“Bullshit, you didn’t eat the food this morning, you’re eating now.”  

“I’m really not hungry Jacks....” Kaylee sighed as Jacks shot her a glare. “Fine, fine.” She grabbed a fry, dipping it in the ketchup from Jacky’s place and taking a bite. It was a good fry- it was able to fool her stupid stomach into letting her swallow it anyway. 

Jacky’s medication didn’t have the same side effects as Kaylee’s- her appetite wasn’t hindered but going too long without it gave her migraines and vertigo. It also reversed her days and nights, which is why she spent the previous night awake doing research.  

Jacky made sure Kaylee ate. In return Kaylee made sure Jacky slept, without the aid of alcohol. 

(Though when Kaylee wasn’t there, Jacky didn’t sleep until she was passed out drunk) 

“-… just don’t like leavin’ Kim alone too long with the way things are now.” Jacky wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but Nick’s voice carried more than he thought it did. He was sitting at the bar, talking over his beer with Mary. “Peggies all over the county and the baby’s due any day now. Yesterday the fuckers came knockin’ at our door when I was workin’.” 

“Kim all right?” Mary asked, assuming Nick’s wife was or she wouldn’t just be hearing about this now. 

“She’s fine, that’s what she tells me anyway. You wanna know what the bastards did? Took our fuckin’ baby supplies! Right out from under us. All the blankets and toys... my grandad’s crib. Kim couldn’t do anythin’ except call the cops but by the time they got there the assholes were long gone.” Nick shook his head. “Fuckin’ Peggies... stealin’ baby supplies of all things.” 

Mary’s blood was boiling. She set the glass down, putting a hand over Nick’s. “I’ll talk to the Pastor. We can get you more supplies. It’s not charity-” She said before Nick could interrupt. “We wanna make sure you and Kim can have the family you deserve.” 

“Excuse me....”Jacky couldn’t help herelf, turning in her seat toward the bar. Kaylee looked up, another fry hanging out of her mouth. “Sorry to interrupt. Did you say that someone stole your baby supplies?” 

“Uh,” Nick cleared his throat, ducking his head. No point in getting other people involved, it always ended the same. “Yeah, some assholes think they own the county.” 

“Did you make a report to the police?” 

Nick scowled. “Ain’t nothin’ the cops can do. They know where they’re all hidin’ out but can’t get entrance to the property. Not without a warrant.” 

Jacky glanced at Kaylee before asking the question she wanted to ask since setting foot in Falls End. “Does this have anything to do with Joseph Seed?” 

There were only five of them there but the bar became dead quiet when Jacks spoke his name. Nick and Mary immediately tensed up and Mary frowned at the girls. “...how do you know that name?” 

Jacky stood up from the bar, moving forward but keeping some space. Both Mary and Nick had their guards up as she spoke. “Jacky Dupree. I’m... investigating something that might have to do with him.” She took her phone out of her pocket, pulling up Tyler’s picture. She showed the picture to them, “Do either of you recognize this man?” 

Mary sucked in a breath and after a moment, Nick nodded. “Yeah... we talked with him. Us and Jerome.” 

“About Joseph Seed and Eden’s Gate?” 

“...yeah.” 

Feeling more confident, Jacky took another step forward. “His name is Tyler Jones. And he’s been missing for three weeks.” Jacky lowered the phone. “When was the last time you saw him?” 

“I... three weeks ago this Wednesday. Shit, you don’t think-” Nick looked at Mary and she nodded. “Shit....” 

“Do either of you know what happened to him?” 

Mary clenched her jaw and Nick looked down at his feet. Neither of them wanted to speak, not knowing if they could trust Jacky. They had been let down with this too many times before. 

Kaylee stood up and joined her friend. “You can trust us. I know it’s hard to trust strangers. Jacky is the best detective in Chicago. She was a police officer up until last year. If anyone can solve this case, she can.” 

“... we don’t want to cause trouble.” Jacky licked her lips. “His mother is desperate for information. I’m not asking a lot. Just a lead so I know what direction to go in.” 

Mary May bit her lip, staring at the women, considering them for a long time. “Okay.” She finally said, “But after nightfall, in private. Jerome should be here too.” 

Nick stood up from his barstool. “I can’t stick around. My wife, she’s gonna have our baby any day now.” He hesitated before shaking both Jacky and Kaylee’s hand. “If you need anythin’ from me, you can find me at Rye and Sons’ Aviation. Wish I could do more.” 

“We understand.” Kaylee gave him a small smile. “Congratulations on the baby.” 

Nick returned the smile. “Thanks... hope ya’ll find what you’re lookin’ for.” He shared a meaningful look with Mary May before leaving the bar. 

“...why don’t you two finish your food? I’ll let you know when we’re ready.” Jacky nodded at Mary’s suggestion, she and Kaylee going back to sit at their booth. Mary moved to the other end of the counter, picking up the landline. 

The phone rang a couple times before the man on the other end answered. “Jerome, it’s me. Can you come by the bar around nine?” Mary May looked out the window, the steeple of the church visible in the horizon. “There’s some folks here you should talk to.” 

* * *

Jay and Hudson were just going to head straight home after their shift- Jay slowly moving in their stuff from their ex’s place- but Pratt had insisted they all go out for drinks. It had been a while since Jay had gone out somewhere so they figured, why the hell not? 

And that’s how they ended up at the 8-bit Pizza Bar, drinking and playing pool with their coworkers. Or really, Jay was on their third beer and still able to wipe the floor with Hudson and Pratt- or rather, Joey and Staci, as Staci insisted on being called by them.  

Staci let out a low whistle as Jay hit the striped 5 into the left corner pocket, sinking the shot once again. “Damn, Rook. Didn’t know you were a fuckin’ ringer.” 

Jay’s felt their face heat up and they shrugged, ducking their head to play it off. “I’m a pretty good shot when it comes to guns, I guess it also translates to pool.” Staci smirked, moving around the table to take his shot. “Okay hot shot- watch this.” He lined up his cue. “8-ball, top right.” He hit the cue ball, knocking it against the 8-ball and shooting it into the hole. The cue ball, however, rolled in after it. 

“Scratch.” Joey said, leaning against the wall watching them. She raised her beer to Jay, the corner of her mouth slightly raised. “Jay wins.” 

Staci scoffed but he shook Jay’s hand. “You know what that means? Winner buys the next round.” He said, giving Jay’s shoulder a playful shove. Jay rolled their eyes, sipping their beer. “Someone sounds like a sore  _looooooser_.” They grinned at Staci, issuing a chuckle from Joey. 

“You’re both haters.” Staci shook his head but he was grinning. He leaned his cue against the rack, finishing off his beer. “I gotta go take a leak. Next round, winner take all.” He told Jay, winking at them before walking toward the bathrooms. 

Jay flopped into a nearby booth, giggling. This was the best they felt in days- weeks. After a moment, Joey slid into the seat next to them. She was wearing the black tank top she’d had underneath her Deputy’s uniform and she’d let her hair down as well. It was a lot longer than it seemed in the braid. 

Joey was really pretty. 

Jay knew they were starting to form a crush, so soon after their breakup too. But tensions with their last girlfriend had been there for weeks- Jay doesn’t move on easy, but it’s also really hard not to fall for every single pretty girl that looked at them. 

“Havin’ a good time?” Joey asked. After Pratt had told them that it was hard to get to know Hudson, Jay was surprised to see her warming up to them so quickly. They nodded. “Most fun I’ve had in a long time. You guys usually come here?” 

Joey shrugged, “Every so often. I try not to let the locals notice me- just so I have some separation between work and social life- but they all know Staci. You’ll find out everybody knows everybody up here. It’s a big county but tight knit community.” 

“I like that.” Jay rested their chin on their hand, looking up at the television where some game was on but Jay couldn’t tell you what sport or what teams or who was winning. “I’ve moved around a lot most of my life. It’d be nice to settle somewhere with a strong community.” 

“Foster home or military family?” 

Jay shook their head, surprised Joey had asked. “Neither. I uh... my mom died when I was young and my dad couldn’t handle having a kid so he gave me to my aunt. She’s... fucking amazing. One of the strongest people I know. She worked all kinds of odd jobs all over the place. Mostly waitressing gigs. She had me and my cousin to worry about so she was always trying to find something better for us. We did a lap around the mid-west, once we were in Maine for a year before going back. 

When I was in high school, my dad reached out to me. Said, he regretted giving me up and wanted me to come live with him. And like... I can see what a bad idea that is now, we were complete strangers, but he was my dad. I wanted to know him.” Jay was talking as much as Hurk had been but they can’t stop now. “So, I moved in with him and it was good for a while. We got used to each other, started to bond. High school I was also realizing that I liked girls instead of boys.  _That_  was a weird time. I told my aunt about it and she fully supported me and offered to take me back. But I wanted to stay with my dad, even though I was nervous about telling him.” 

Jay took a sip of their beer. “And I really should have, cause what happened was worse. I went to this bar with my friends- we all got fake ID’s and the bartender could probably tell we were underage but didn’t care. This 20-year-old college girl started flirting with me and I lost my virginity to her in the bathroom stall. I don’t know if she ever figured out I was 17. Anyway, I get black out drunk and wake up at the police station. My dad came to get me. And the girl was there. So, it all came out.” 

Joey didn’t say a word as Jay lowered their head, swallowing hard. “He didn’t take it very well. Didn’t speak to me for a week. We still lived together, he drove me to school, we ate dinner every night. He told me later he had been processing. 

Finally, that Friday he looked at me and he said ‘I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and it’s okay. I accept you.’ And for a moment, I was so relieved to know that. But then he went on and told me ‘I’m an old-fashioned guy though and it isn’t something I understand. I’ll try to. But for now, I don’t want to see it around here’. That crushed me.” Jay bit their lip. “He said he accepted me but as long as he didn’t see it. It’s not just that I wanted to date but he couldn’t completely accept who I was. 

After three years of living with him, I left and went back to my aunt’s. She took me back in of course, because she’s one of the greatest people to ever live. I had to leave at 18. My aunt couldn’t pay much for college so I worked on scholarships and got housing at college. I had to work double time for an associate’s but the money wasn’t enough. When I moved out, I stayed on friends’ couches, at cheap hotels, a couple times in a homeless shelter. My aunt was always willing to put me up but she was also going broke and had my cousin to support as well. I know she would never reject me but I couldn’t put that on her. I was also realizing that neither gender really made sense for me. It took me a long time to realize fully but when I realized there were people who were non-binary, I knew that was me. 

“I was able to get into the academy after a few years and found myself in South Dakota. Went to Montana about half a year later and now... here I am.” Jay grinned a bit at Hudson. “Telling you my whole fucking life story.” 

Joey nodded, meeting Jay’s eyes. The whole time Jay had been talking, Joey had been listening quietly, not interrupting once. She showed no judgement or pity. Maybe that’s why it was so easy for Jay to tell her. 

“Thank you for telling me that, Jay.” She said, her voice nearly soft. She nudged them with her shoulder. “You’re a pretty remarkable person.” 

Jay grinned, their face heating up again. “Well... you’re pretty cool yourself.” 

The sweet moment was broken when Staci walked over, carrying four shots and putting them on the table. “These.” He said. “Are a parting gift for you guys.” 

Joey wrinkled her nose, “Where the hell are you going?” 

Staci gestured to a woman at the bar, “Gen and I are gonna go get some frozen yogurt.” 

“...is that some sort of lame euphemism?” 

Staci gave them a frown. “Jay-bird, we are literally just going to get frozen yogurt.” 

“Oh.” That was okay with Jay. Staci was a fun guy to hang out with, but they were liking the alone time they’d had with Joey. 

Staci shot them both finger guns, grinning. “See ya’ll tomorrow!” 

Joey rolled her eyes, looking over at Jay after Staci left. “So, does your accuracy also make you good at darts? 

* * *

 “The cult set foot in this county six years ago.” It was just after nine when the pastor arrived. Mary May had quickly called the girls to the back, handing bar duty over to Casey and shutting the four of them inside her office, where they could talk in private. Kaylee and Jacky had been chatting with other customers that walked in, usually showing them Tyler’s picture- they refrained from saying anything about Eden’s Gate on Mary’s request. Jacky had another beer in her hand, and Kaylee was silently monitoring her- but her friend seemed more alert than ever, staring at Jerome with an intense expression. 

“At first they didn’t seem like much.” Jerome continued, leaning forward in the chair in front of Mary’s desk. “Fanatics, always going on about the Collapse- the end of the world. How we had to be ready. Some folk joined, most dismissed them. We didn’t really think anything of it. Until, they started buying up property in the area. Turning them into compounds. Then they started to arm themselves, buying up old WWII planes and fixing ‘em up for patrols. Around 2015, they started to gain more influence.” 

“The television ads.” Jacky nodded, “We’ve seen.” 

“How’d they get so much money in the first place?” Kaylee asked with a frown. 

“John Seed.” Mary said his name like it was poison. “Adopted parents apparently made bank. Set him up real nice when they both suddenly died.” 

“Atlanta lawyer too. Gonna be able to do more than pay the bills.” Jacky moved her beer aside, looking back at Jerome. “So, more people started buying into their scheme. Joseph, John and Jacob had most of the county on their side in no time.” 

“Those three and their sister. Faith.” Jerome looked up at Jacky. “I’m surprised you know that much. From my experience, Joseph Seed knows how to cover his tracks and his brothers have the resources and intimidation to do so.” 

Kaylee smiled a little. “She’s a great detective.” 

“I don’t know everything. Only the surface level shit.” Jacky crossed her arms. “I never got anything but a name on Jacob and there’s absolutely nothing on Faith.” 

Mary and Jerome exchanged a glance. “There wouldn’t be.” Mary said. “Rumor has it, there’s been more than one Faith. I’ve never seen her in person myself, so I couldn’t confirm. But people who’ve seen her have been sayin’ she always looks different. This one, however, has been around for a while. She’s set up shop in a conservatory, growing some type of flower they use to drug hopeful candidates. Faith is just as manipulative as Joseph but she’s scared of him. Beautiful, cunning, ruthless.” 

“Jacob is ex-army.” Jerome spoke up. “He’s in charge of the military Eden’s Gate has accumulated. He’s not seen in public as much as his brothers. From what I heard he’s been in charge of kidnapping or silencing those who are speaking out against Eden’s Gate.” Jerome looked at the ground. “Including my mentor, Pastor Hal Blaire. He, his wife, and his daughter, haven’t been seen in two weeks.” 

“Okay so,” Jacky moved to the side, looking like she was about to start pacing. “John is the money man, Jacob the general, Faith takes care of drugs, Joseph is the face.” She froze and looked at Mary May. “What does Tyler have to do with any of this?” 

Jerome sighed. “That brave young man... he was our last hope. His friends came before him and we suspected the cult got them. When he turned up, we wanted to help. He worked tirelessly, taking interviews, investigating cult appearances. I told him not to go to Joseph’s compound but he said that would make sure Hope County would get immediate attention from the FBI.” 

“And then he was never seen again. So, they got him.”  

Kaylee looked at Jacky, biting her lip, “Jacks... you had no idea....” 

“Where is his evidence?” Jacky moved forward, leaning her hands on the desk, looking between Jerome and Mary. “He had to have some sort of physical evidence to keep going with this investigation. Journals, videos, something.” 

Mary nodded, a grimace on her face. “After he disappeared, John sent his men through. They took all his stuff. Basically, cleaned out everything to prove Tyler wasn’t here. Except this.” Mary took a flip phone out of her pocket and tossed it to Jacky. “No juice, but he gave that to me and told me it was a burner. That he was gonna stream any evidence he got inside the compound right to it. If you can get it charged, you’ve got some evidence right there... but I have to warn you, Joseph Seed doesn’t take threats to his project lightly.”  

Mary hesitated but she started to unbutton her shirt. Jerome glanced away as she revealed the scar on her chest to Jacky and Kaylee. “My daddy paid the price and so did my brother. John Seed did this to me as a reminder.” She buttoned her shirt back up, gritting her teeth. “Any sign of danger, the cult can immediately sniff ‘em out.” 

“Do we look very dangerous to you?” Kaylee said with a slight smirk. Jacky’s mouth quirked up as did Mary May’s and she shrugged. “You look like a couple of college girls on vacation. They might buy that for a few days.” 

“Hopefully that’ll be enough time.” Jacky looked at Kaylee, a glint of determination now to her eyes. “We can still try to find Tyler... but this is a lot bigger than we thought. If we’re careful, and if we get the evidence Tyler did, we can end this.”  

Kaylee nodded, looking at Mary. “We can start in the morning. Do you know anyone who’d be willing to put us up?” 

“We have a room upstairs ya’ll can take.” Mary took a folded piece of paper out of her back pocket, handing it to Kaylee. “These are some people you should talk to. Town leaders, business owners, people generally pissed off by Peggie shit.” 

“What you’re doing,” Jerome stood, looking straight at Jacky. “Is brave, have no doubt. We appreciate the help. But we don’t want you disappearing on us like everyone else. Be careful.” 

Jacky nodded. “We will be.” She grabbed her beer, raising it in a mock toast. “So, let’s go get this son of a bitch.” 

* * *

Joseph stared at the picture of the new deputy, his heart hammering in his ears. He had seen their face before- in his dreams. In his nightmares. 

_It’s begun- the Reaping will begin any day now. We have to be ready_. 

He reached for the telephone on his desk, immediately dialing Jacob’s extension. “The new deputy.” He said, as soon as Jacob had picked up. “I want them followed, I want to know everything about them... it’s time, Jacob.” Joseph couldn’t help but feel a slight thrill of excitement. After all their hard work, it was finally time. “It’s time to call our children to arms.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all I have written for now. I've got no idea if I'll ever update- hope you like what you read! Let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob takes an interest in some newcomers. Jay investigates a family's disappearance. Jacky makes plans for a bold move.

Jacob knew something was coming. Even before Joseph had called him about the new deputy, he had felt a shift in the air. Tensions between the Project and civilians were at an all-time high. Whitehorse was proving to be as difficult as ever when it came to keeping the Project’s affairs from law enforcement. His men were openly ridiculed and there had been more than a few fights with serious injuries. 

And two days ago, his patrols had brought back word of two young women traveling from Falls End to the Henbane River. 

Jacob had not paid all that much attention to them when they had first arrived. He was busy with his other duties as well as tracking the new deputy’s every movement. The word brought back to him in the days afterward was more than enough to get him interested. Two young women, saying they were anthropology majors from a local college, doing a research assignment on native people who had inhabited Hope County before it was founded. They had tried to access several of the Project’s properties to no avail. They were polite enough, but his Chosen had reported them taking pictures and video of Eden’s Gate compounds. They were also seen talking with notable members of the resistance- namely Mary May Fairgrave, Nick Rye, and Pastor Jerome Jeffries.  

 _There’s a lot more to them than just college girls_ , Jacob’s gut told him. He’d already disposed of groups who’d try to expose Eden’s Gate in the past. And though these girls were much different, the timing of their arrival with the deputy’s was... awfully coincidental. 

And there’s no such thing as coincidence. 

It was a late Saturday morning when Jacob was informed they were in the Whitetails. They had gone to the Elk Jaw Lodge with the excuse of research- the first time any of his Chosen were able to get pictures of them. He looked down at the pictures of the women on his desk with a cruel smile. 

“Have them followed.” He said, almost casually, “We’ll asses their danger level at the end of the day and see what to do with ‘em then.”  

“Yes, Jacob.” 

“Don’t,” Jacob continued before his Chosen could leave. “Tell Joseph just yet. His mind is occupied he doesn’t need this type of stress.” Not with the Harbinger of Doom in the Sheriff’s station. 

* * *

“If one more guy in a white hoodie calls me ‘sweetheart’, I’m gonna start punching.” Jacky said, getting into the front of her Jeep, her smile turning into a scowl. “I swear, all these Peggie incels take fashion and hygiene advice from Matthew McConaughey- god I feel dirty just talking to them.” 

“Geez Jacks, tell me how you really feel.” Although, talking to the people in the project didn’t give Kaylee the best feeling either. They were either overly friendly to the point of creepiness or adamantly hostile. She wasn’t sure which was worse. “So, Elk Jaw Lodge is Eden’s Gate property.” She took out a huge map from the glove compartment as Jacky drove out of the parking lot. Kaylee grabbed a red sharpie, uncapping it with her teeth as she marked the map with a big red X. They had been doing that for the past four days- much of the map was covered in red X marks. 

“Bet a buncha hunters weren’t happy when that happened.” Jacky maneuvered them back onto the road with a relieved sigh. “Where to next?” 

“Rarngern Shtaton.” 

“Pfft-” Jacky chuckled. “I’m sorry, what was that?” 

Kaylee took the sharpie cap out of her mouth. “The Ranger Station. There should be records there for us to look at.” 

Jacky nodded. “Okay, anyone Mary say we should talk to?” 

“Uh...” Kaylee squinted at Mary’s note. “I think someone named Ranger Bert or Bart. She said not to trust the director.” 

“Good to know.” Jacky adjusted her rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of a white truck behind them. “When we leave, we’re taking a different route back to Falls End. I want to drive by Joseph’s compound and see if there’s any cell signal there.” 

“For the burner?” 

Jacky nodded, patting her front pocket. “I’ve got it with me all charged up. If we can find a signal, we can get Tyler’s evidence. And get the hell out of this backward ass county.” 

Kaylee had to roll her eyes this time. “C’mon, Jacks, it isn’t that bad of a place. Does it have a cult problem? Yes. But like there’s something charming about it.” 

Jacky raised her eyebrows, glancing at Kaylee. “Charming?” 

“It’s not like I’m going to buy a summer house here or anything. But... yeah, it’s nice.” Kaylee smiled to herself as she looked out the window. “It’s warm, quiet. Like a scene out of a pastoral painting.” And nothing like the city. 

Jacky wrinkled her nose. “I guess I can see that... but at the same time, there’s so many small towns. I  _hate_  small rural towns.” 

“It can’t be because of the subtle racism, right?” 

“Oh of course not,  _nobody_  is racist in these places.” Jacky joked but she saw Kaylee’s face change to a worried expression. “Kaylee, it’s okay. I’m used to people looking at me like that. And I could really care fucking less. That’s their problem.” It did bother her of course, but she wasn’t going to tell Kaylee that. “There’s racism in the city too. I just feel more comfortable there.” 

Kaylee shook her head. “I don’t understand how you are. I’ll never feel comfortable there.” 

“That’s cause you have anxiety and ADHD.” Jacky glanced at Kaylee. “You take your medication?” 

“Yup! You?” 

Jacky nodded, looking in the rearview mirror again with a frown. “When we get back, we’ll both have to get refills. We forgot to before we left.” 

Kaylee leaned back in her seat, folding the map back up. “Oh- almost forgot. Kim invited us over for dinner later. You did say you wanted to talk to Nick more. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you had a crush on him.” She teased. 

Jacky grinned. “Luckily, you do know better.” She shook her head. “Nick is cool. Kim is cooler. In another life they would have been my best friends. Too bad someone in this car has already filled that position.” 

“Awww, you’re a dork~”  

“Bitch~” 

Kaylee laughed, “Okay okay, yes Nick is cool! And Kim is... reallycoolandreallyhot. And they invited us over for six so we need to be back by then.” 

“Gotcha.” Jacky frowned, looking in the rearview mirror again. “Huh....” 

“Huh what?” 

“...don’t freak out... but I think we’re being followed.” Kaylee’s smile immediately dropped and she looked over her shoulder. There was a white truck following them, with the cross of Eden’s Gate on its hood. “Fuck.” 

“Fuck.” Jacky agreed, biting her lip. “It’s been behind us since the lodge and made every turn we have. Shit- we can’t go to the Ranger Station with a tail on us.” 

“What do we do?” 

Jacky chewed on her lip, looking nervous for the first time in a while. Then she made a sharp U-turn, the tires screeching as she swung the Jeep around in the other direction. Kaylee yelped and held on to the dashboard. “Sorry! I’m gonna try and lose them.” Jacky looked again in the rearview mirror as the truck turned to follow them. “Hang on, I’m gonna go up in the mountains.” She gripped the steering wheel. “Try keeping up with my all-wheel drive, motherfuckers.” 

* * *

 The Drubman Marina had the best access to the Henbane in the whole region. Which was possibly why the Project members had tried to gain access to the wharf. This did not sit well with the owner of the Marina, Adelaide Drubman.  

When Jay and Pratt arrived, the Peggies were still parked at the entrance, in the middle of a shouting match with the woman herself. Adelaide stood proudly in front of the docks, clutching onto a rifle, pointing it in the direction of the Peggies. Pratt sighed, “Like mother, like son, like ex-husband.” He got out of the car and headed for the gathering. “Hey! Let’s back it up! Addie- c'mon put the gun down.” 

“Honey, it is always good to see you and that pert ass a’ yours but right now Mama’s got business to take care of.” Since Pratt was heading for Adelaide, Jay went for the Peggies standing in front of them as one of the men tried to move forward. “You don’t own the damn river- we have a right to access it!” 

“Motherfucker I  _own_  these docks. And  _my_ right is to tell you good for nothin’ Peggies to fuck off!”  

“Addie-” Pratt had a hand near his gun, but he was grinning at the woman, trying to use some of his charm on her. “You can let us handle it. Put the gun down. Please? For me?” 

Adelaide titled her head and grinned at him after a moment. “Ah hell- Staci Pratt that is underhanded. You know I’m a sucker for a handsome man in uniform.” She lowered the rifle. “But I ain’t takin’ anymore lip from these fuckin’ Peggies. You tell ‘em t’leave and _then_  we can see what I can do for you and that pert ass of yours.” 

Adelaide’s obvious flirting was making Jay slightly uncomfortable. They cleared their throat, looking to the Peggies. “There are other docks around- and this is private property. Don’t you think you could find someone else to access the river?” 

The Peggie gave them a burning look, grumbling. “Not anywhere with a dock big enough. We offered to pay and everything, she’s just a stubborn bitch-” 

“Mason-” A girl in a white dress touched the man’s arm. “Do not let your sin control you.” Mason pressed his lips together but his shoulders visibly relaxed. The woman looked toward Jay. “We will find somewhere else. We just need to put in a call to our... supervisor.”  

There was a strange energy coming off the woman, green smoke seeming to emanate from her. Jay’s head began to feel cloudy and they took a step back. “T-thank you....” Jay felt like they might pass out, so they turned, heading to Pratt and Adelaide. “All... all good. They’ll find somewhere else.” 

“See, Addie? You gotta let us handle it.” Adelaide grinned at Pratt, stepping very close to him. “Oh- I understand now, honey. Keep this up and I’ll let you  _handle_  some other things.” Pratt looked visibly uncomfortable, leaning back a bit to Adelaide’s clear enjoyment. She gestured for them to follow, “C’mon, ya’ll deserve a nice cold beer for all your hard work. Oh, and bring your friend with you.” Adelaide gave Pratt a wink, turning and sauntering down the stairs, a clear wave in her hips. 

“... is she always-” 

“Yup.” Pratt’s face had turned pink. “Adelaide Drubman has no off switch. Let’s go make sure she’s cooled down enough.” 

Jay glanced at the two by the truck, before going down the stairs after Pratt. Adelaide had taken out two bottles from the cooler in front of her garage. Sitting in the lawn chair next to it was a sun-tanned young man. As Jay got closer, they could see a tattoo on his bicep- a heart with Adelaide’s name in the middle. 

“Staci, honey, introduce me to your cute new friend.” Adelaide tried to hand over the beer and Staci shook his head. “Not now, Addie, we’re working.” He looked at Jay. “This is Deputy Parrish. They just started on Monday.” 

“Ohhhh....” Adelaide grinned wolfishly, invading Jay’s personal space. “They don’t got the same good looks in a uniform as you Staci- but those eyes, mmmm, they can melt my legs like butter.” 

Jay ducked their head, not sure how to respond. “Thank you?” 

Adelaide chuckled and looked back at the man in the lawn chair. “That’s Xander, a  _very_  special friend of mine.” She lowered her voice for only Jay to hear. “He’s 28- and does yoga. Honey, you have not lived until you’ve seen that ass in downward-facing dog.” 

Xander stood up, pressing his hands together, giving them a little bow. “ _Namaste_ , man. Thanks for helping clear up that Peggie shit. Those guys are such buzz-kills.” How this guy had a California accent in Montana, Jay would never be able to figure out. 

“They’ve been tryin’ to get their grubby little hands on my Marina long as I can remember.” Adelaide opened her beer, taking a sip before giving it to Xander.  

Xander took the beer, not drinking. “Yeah, all so they can dump their toxins in the water. They’ve been poisoning our environment, man. All those chemicals aren’t good for us or the animals or the trees or the water-” 

“They get it, Xander honey.” Adelaide kissed him on the cheek but batted her eyes at Pratt. “Staci here’s been wantin’ me to get a restraining order and I tell him every time restraining orders are only for affairs of the heart or pants. I got one against my ex-husband, so I should know.” 

“A restraining order _would_  keep them off your land....”  

Jay looked at Xander. “What do you mean they’re dumping toxins?” 

“It’s that fucking Bliss, man!” As Adelaide drifted over to Pratt, Xander stepped up to Jay. “It’s a mix of chemicals. Messes with your head- poisons you, gives you weird hallucinations. There’s rumors they get people addicted to the stuff to keep them from messing with the cult.”  

“Did you try talking to the Sheriff about this?” 

“I tried a million times, man. He says they can’t get the permits to investigate. I even wrote a letter to the EPA and got no response.” Xander shook his head. “They’ve been doin’ worse stuff too. Addie said this wasn’t the first time they were by-” As he spoke Jay glanced back at the truck. The man was on a radio call but the woman was still looking at them. “They’re trying to take all the land and they’ve started taking people too. Like, when I heard my parents and sister went missing, I was freaked out-” 

“Your family’s missing?” Jay looked back at Xander. “Did you file a missing person’s report?” 

Xander nodded. “Yeah but no one’s seen ‘em for weeks. The cult probably has ‘em. My dad, he wasn’t the nicest guy. He was always going on about how they’re evil....” 

Jay took their notepad out from their back pocket. “What are their names?” 

“Hal, Betty and Calliope Blaire. But she goes by Alli.” Xander ducked his head. “After I moved out, I changed my last name. My dad he... he wasn’t happy about me moving in with Addie. That’s the last time I talked to him.” 

Jay wrote their names down, circling them. “I’ll look into it. I’m sorry about all this.” 

“Thanks, man....” Xander looked up at the white truck. “It just pisses me off, man. They think they can do whatever they want to us.”  

Jay bit their lip, unsure what to say. They glanced in the truck’s direction and then back at Xander. “Wait here, I’ll be back in a minute.” Jay turned and made their way back up the stairs, heading for the pair at the white truck. 

Mason was still on the radio when Jay walked up. The woman straightened up from her position against the truck. “Mind if I ask you folks some questions?” 

The woman frowned. “What questions?” 

“It’s about a missing persons case.” Mason scoffed and looked away from Jay, so they turned to the woman. “It would be a real help... I never got your name.” 

“My name is Anna.” The woman was sill frowning, but she nodded. “We will help in any way we can.” 

“Thank you.” Jay glanced at their notebook. “Have you ever heard of a Hal Blaire?” 

Out of the corner of their eye, they saw Mason tense. But Anna had no visible reaction. “I believe he is a preacher, though I have never met him.” 

“He, his wife and his daughter are missing. Would you have any idea where they could be?” 

Anna shook her head. “I am sorry. I don’t.” 

Jay would have questioned her further, but their vision was starting to blur as the green smoke clouded their head again. “If you... if you have any other information make sure... you come by the station.” 

“Of course, Deputy....” 

“Parrish... Deputy Parrish.” Jay shook their head. “Thank you for your time....” 

“It’s no trouble, Deputy Parrish.” As Jay walked away, Anna’s smile faded. She looked to Mason. “Call Faith. Tell her the Deputy has started to ask questions about the Blaires.” 

* * *

 It was nearly three hours and the women in the blue Jeep had been leading his men in a circle. Jacob received reports every twenty minutes. They had not made any stops, save for at a gas station. They circled the mountain path twice before going down and travelling through the region, sticking to public roads and highways.  

 _Smart little mice_ , they must have noticed they were being followed. “Let’s make this interesting.” Jacob said to himself, kicking back in his seat as he pressed the call button on his radio. “Samuel. Let them go.” 

 _“Sir?”_  

 _“_ They think they can outsmart us and escape. They’re wrong.” He picked up the picture of the dark-skinned woman, studying it as he spoke. “There’s more of us than them. Put the word out on them. I want hourly reports. No engagement. Not until we know more.” 

“ _Yes, sir.”_  

Jacob sat forward, switching channels. “Hey, little brother.” He said, a slight smirk to his voice. “You’ve got a couple of trouble-making rodents headed your way.” 

* * *

 “Send me their pictures. I’ll have Andrew pay a visit to Mary May.” John had just finished up the second part of her confession when a call came in from his older brother. Alli waited until he had turned his back before doubling over in pain.  _Motherfucker-_  

There was more pain than talk this time. He seemed to think she was holding something back from him. She wasn’t allowed to keep secrets and he had to punish her for her sins. 

Now there was a new tattoo stretched across her stomach-PRIDE. Alli clenched her teeth, trying not to touch the tattoo but unable to straighten herself up. She knew this was all for her atonement but she couldn’t help the anger that built up in her chest. They kept plenty of secrets from her; she shouldn’t have to tell them everything. 

“Yes, brother. We’ll make sure this ends before it goes any further.” John had a pleased smile on his face as he put his walkie talkie down on the tray. His hands and wrists were still stained with Alli’s blood so he began to wash them in the clean bowl of water he had next to his tools. 

“You may go.” He said with his back to her. “We can finish this another time. You are  _so_  close to atonement.” So long as she didn’t hold anything back the next time. 

Alli made a face at his back, pushing herself up from the chair. “What was that about?” She asked, taking careful steps toward the door. 

John  _tsk’d_ , “Didn’t we just have this conversation about your own self-importance?” He was so pleased with himself, smirking at her.  

“I can’t be curious?” Alli had suspected one of her sins was Pride, but it was annoying that he was throwing that back in her face. She was being curious- of course, she was only curious because she had heard Jacob’s voice on the other end of the call. 

“Well, you know that old proverb about curiosity and the cat.” John wiped his hands off with a towel that was lying beside the bowl. “If you must know, Jacob has his eyes on a couple of suspicious college students supposedly doing research for a project.” 

Alli raised her eyebrow. “That doesn’t seem impossible.” 

“True, there’s no reason they would lie. But,” He turned to face her, leaning back against his tool table. “We have to be careful. Some people seek to destroy our family, just because we choose to live and believe differently from the rest of the world.” 

“And... Jacob thinks these college students are like that?” 

John shrugged. “Who knows what Jacob thinks? It’s hard to understand everything going on in his head.” Even for his own brother it seemed. John eyed her with a knowing smile. “And why are you so interested in what our dear Brother Jacob thinks?” 

Alli pressed her lips together, partly not wanting to answer and partly not sure herself. John chuckled, moving toward her so he could guide her toward the door. “I think you’ve done enough confessing today.” He told her. “We can save that for the next session.” 

“And what if there’s nothing to say?” 

John grinned. “There is  _always_  something. Sin likes to disguise itself in simple questions, innocent enough until you realize they’re not innocent at all.” 

With that he ushered her out of the room, closing the door behind her. Alli crossed her arms, glaring at the door. Every time she asked a question she was dismissed, it seemed. Was there something more to her asking about Jacob? Did he hold more interest for her than just curiosity? 

Alli shook her head, not wanting to think about that. As she started toward her room, she began to think about her parents. She’d been doing that more and more often. She could remember the night she left, the night Joseph had held her in his arms and told her she had done the right thing. 

She had believed him then. She was struggling to now. Without Joseph around, everything was murky. She remembered the reason she betrayed her parents, but it didn’t feel right. Not without Joseph around. 

* * *

 After about four hours, Jacky finally felt they were safe enough to head back to Falls End. They didn’t stop by Joseph’s Compound like they planned, but the girls had had enough excitement for the day. 

However, it wasn’t over. As the blue Jeep began to pull in to town, Kaylee spotted three white trucks in front of The Spread Eagle. 

“Shit.” Her eyes went wide. “Shit shit shit shit shit- is that for us?” 

“I don’t know but I don’t want to find out like this.” Instead of continuing down the road, Jacky looped around Jerome’s church. “Shit- how did they know where we were staying?” 

“Well....” Kaylee shifted in her seat. “The Jeep is pretty noticeable, Jacks.” 

Jacky shot her a look. “You shut your dirty mouth. Charlie, she didn’t mean it.” But she sighed after a moment. “What are we supposed to do? Hitch hike? To where? We have nowhere else to go.” 

Just then, Kaylee saw a sign for Rye & Son’s Aviation. She smiled. “I think I know a place we can stay for the night. We’ve just gotta ditch this car for the night.” 

Jacky sighed, pouting as she patted the steering wheel. “Sorry, Charlotte. I promise, I will find you again.” 

Kaylee rolled her eyes, pulling her phone out. Kim answered after the second ring. “Hey, Kim,” She said as Jacky pulled off the side of the road. “We were headed back through Falls End and ran into a snag. Can we ask a smallish favor?” 

* * *

 “Hey, Sheriff. Can we talk for a second?” Jay stood in the doorway of Whitehorse’s office, biting their lip nervously. 

“This important, Rook?” The Sheriff hadn’t looked up at them when they opened the door. He had his hat off for once, going through a pile of papers that needed his signature. 

“It’s about the Blaires... I think they were kidnapped by Eden’s Gate.” 

That’s when the Sheriff looked up at them. “... do you have any reason to believe that?” 

Jay chewed on their lip. “I talked to Xander. Hal Blaire’s son. He thinks that Eden’s Gate took them from their home and is drugging them. And when I talked to two of the project members, they were acting very suspicious. And the woman... she... I don’t know. Just being around her was making me feel like I was going to pass out.” 

Whitehorse sighed, putting his pen down, “Come in and have a seat, Rook. Close the door behind you.” 

Jay did as he said with no hesitation, closing the door behind them and sitting in the seat on the other side of the Sheriff’s desk. Whitehorse stood up, moving to his window and shutting the blinds, so they could have complete privacy. He moved back to the desk, but instead of going to his seat, he leaned back against the front of his desk, close to Jay. “Rookie, you’ve been here nearly a week now. If circumstances were different, I’d have closed this door in your face. But... you need to know.” 

“Sir, is this about Eden’s Gate?” 

“Of course, it is.” Whitehorse scratched the scruff on his neck, Jay could feel how tense he was. “By now, you know most of what’s going on. Joseph Seed and his brothers have been buyin’ up all the land and they’re aiming to gain control over the whole county. Townsfolk are riled up. They and the Peggies are at each other’s throats. They bought up distilleries and train yards and have been manufacturing some kinda drug. And that’s only what we really know.” 

Whitehorse paused before he continued, gruff voice low, “There are rumors of them kidnapping and drugging civilians that don’t agree with them. We’ve got no hard evidence on it. They’ve got the resources to cover up any felonies they are committing. The FBI’s had their eye on them for two years now and are just waiting for the chance they have to strike. We just need the evidence.” 

“And the Blaires?” 

Whitehorse shook his head. “No sign of Peggie involvement. They just... disappeared.” 

“But there must be some kind of trace or-” Jay cut themself off as Whitehorse started to shake his head again. “I’ve tried, Rook. I’ve taken out every page in the goddamn book. Legal wise, there’s nothing I can do. Joseph is always one step ahead of me.” He gave a dry chuckle. “Maybe the son of a bitch can predict the future.” 

Jay leaned forward in their chair. “What do we do?” 

Whitehorse took a moment before answering, moving back around the desk to his seat. “We keep working. We protect this county, no matter what it takes.” He sat down, looking at Jay. “Hope for a lucky break. Not much else we can do, but there’s no use dwelling on that. Thank you for the concern, Deputy, you’re dismissed.” 

Jay scrunched their nose up, wanting to retort but they did as they were told. They stood and left the room, shutting the Sheriff inside. Joey was standing by the break counter and she wandered over to them when they came out. “Everything all right?” 

“Yeah....” But Jay was clearly frustrated. “Just wishing I could do more for Xander... he deserves to know what happened.” 

Hudson frowned slightly in sympathy. She nudged Jay with her elbow. “Hey. Don’t take it too hard. You can’t solve every problem in this county. Try to take it one case at a time.”  

Jay felt their face heat up and they ducked their head, nodding.  

“Right. You’re gonna be just fine, Rook.” Joey gave them another gentle nudge, a smile this time before heading back to her desk.  

Jay wished they could believe that. They headed for the coffee maker, starting a cup for themself, still thinking about Xander and his family. Mother, father, sister. Alli Blaire wasn’t much younger than they were. All just gone.  

Without any evidence, there was little hope of finding Alli or her parents ever again. 

* * *

  _The jukebox has to take a leak;_  

 _And the carpet needs a haircut,_  

 _And the spotlight looks like a prison break;_  

 _And the telephone’s_ _outta_ _cigarettes,_  

 _And the balcony is on the make;_  

 _And the piano has been drinking. . . ._  

Nick and Kim had immediately agreed to putting the girls up for the night. Nick had helped Jacky hide the Jeep, and made sure they weren’t followed to the house. Kaylee called The Spread Eagle, wanting to check on Mary May- Mary was only able to talk for a moment but she confirmed their suspicions. The Peggies were looking for them.  

“You were tryin’ real hard to blend in, but you went and poked the bear with Jacob.” Nick told Jacky as they were cleaning up the table after dinner. Tom Waits played on the radio in the living room where Kim and Kaylee were chatting. “It was only a matter of time before he took notice. Now John’s got his eye out for you too. Best not to push it until everything settles down. Get me?” 

Jacky nodded, but her jaw was clenched. “Four days of searching and still no information about what happened to Tyler. It’s like he fucking vanished.” 

Nick watched her, tossing the towel he was using to dry the dishes over his shoulder. “I get that you wanna help, but you gotta look out for yourself. You ain’t gonna do anyone any good if you get yourselves captured too.” 

“I think the risk is worth it.” 

Nick chuckled. “Ya know, I used to think like that. But....” He looked back into the living room, gazing at Kim. “Things change when you start a family. Suddenly, you got people lookin’ to you and you can’t just go disapperin’ on ‘em. It’s what... hell, it’s what growin’ up is all about.” 

“Yeah, well, I’m not quite there yet.” Jacky doubted she’d ever have something like Nick had. She stacked the last of the cleaned dishes in the cupboard, grabbing herself a second beer from the fridge.  

“Hell, I never thought I’d settle down until I met Kim. You never know when that type of shit is gonna happen.” 

“I’m pretty positive that’s not gonna happen anytime soon to me.” Jacky smirked at Nick over her beer, “Especially not when I’m stuck in this shitty county.” She snickered as Nick protested, whipping her with the towel and grinning. 

Kaylee smiled as she watched Jacky and Nick in the kitchen, looking back at Kim. “So, when are you due?” 

“Doc said another two weeks at most.” Kim said with a sigh. “You ask me, it can’t come any sooner. I’m going to love this kid so much, but it’s exhausting getting up to pee every half hour.” 

“Thought of a name?” 

Kim shook her head. “I’ve been brainstorming, but haven’t had any inspiration yet. I was thinking of naming her after my grandma, Bessie. Nick still thinks it's gonna surprise us and come out a boy.” 

“I mean, wouldn’t be the strangest thing happening right now.” Kaylee said with a smile. 

Kim chuckled. “That’s true.” She put a hand on her stomach, rubbing absentmindedly. “I’m hoping things will settle down enough so we can concentrate on raising our daughter, but it’s just getting worse.” She lowered her voice. “Nick wants to leave. This house has been in his family for decades but he’s scared. He won’t admit it but I can tell. If things don’t improve, I may end up having this baby in South Dakota.” 

“That might be the right idea.” 

“I know, I know... but I don’t want to force Nick to abandon his family’s home.  _Our_ family’s home.” Kim looked over at Nick, her face falling. “We were going to build something good here. And now we may have to run.” 

Kaylee bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Kim.” She said, not knowing what to say. “I’m sure... I’m sure you guys will figure it out.” 

Both conversations were interrupted when the phone rang. Nick moved forward, picking it up off the receiver. “Hello? . . . Hey! Y'all right?” He looked up at Kaylee and Kim. “It’s Mary May.” He said quickly before going back to the phone. Jacky moved around him, taking a seat in the arm chair near Kaylee. 

“They take anything? … Good, good.... Yeah, they’re all right. They can stay here tonight. Yeah, we’ll let you know if anything changes. Okay... yeah... yeah, thanks Mary.” Nick hung the phone up, looking at the girls. “Everyone’s fine.” He said, before they could ask. “Peggie’s went around scarin’ people for a bit but they didn’t take anything. Soon as they couldn’t find ya’ll they left. Mary says they did look through your stuff though, but they didn’t find anything.” 

“We have everything with us.” Jacky said, reaching to her pocket where the burner phone was.  

“Good. She says they’re probably watchin’ the bar but it should be safe to come back tomorrow.” Nick walked into the living room, resting a hand on the small of Kim’s back. “Ya’ll can stay here tonight. When you’re ready tomorrow you can get back to The Spread Eagle and get your stuff and leave.” 

Kaylee sat up, looking at Nick with a confused expression. “Leave? What do you mean?” 

Nick sighed, taking his hat off and scratching his head with his free hand. “We appreciate everythin’ ya’ll are doing for us but if you go any further, you’re just gonna put yourselves and others in more danger.” He looked at Jacky. “I gotta put my foot down on this. And Mary May agrees with me. You’ve done enough. Everything you’ve found you can bring to the marshalls in Missoula. They can keep investigating and ya’ll can back to your lives.” 

“But....” Kaylee glanced at Jacky. “We’re so close. We still haven’t figured out what’s on the burner phone or what happened to Tyler. It isn’t enough.” 

“It’s gonna have to be. I’m sorry, but you can’t keep doin’ this. It’s too dangerous.” 

Kaylee looked at Jacky, who hadn’t said a word. “Jacky, we can’t just leave.” 

Jacky met Nick’s eyes, seeing his desperation and fear. “... we have to, Kaylee.” She looked at her friend, “I don’t want to either. But if we’re putting other people, innocent people, in danger, then we have to stop.” 

“What about Pauline?” 

Jacky pressed her lips together. “I’ll tell her the truth. Not much more I can do.” 

Nick nodded. “I know this is hard. But I do appreciate it. I’ll help you guys get your stuff tomorrow and make sure you get out safe.” 

“Thanks, Nick.” Jacky gave him and Kim a smile. “Thank you both.” 

Kim hadn’t spoken either. Her expression was stony and she got to her feet, rejecting Nick’s help. “I’m fine.” She said, snapping slightly. Nick immediately looked worried. “Hey, what’s goin’ on? I do somethin’ wrong?” 

Kim looked at Nick, her face softening. “You didn’t. It’s just....” She shook her head. “Sometimes, running isn’t the only answer.” She moved past Nick, walking up the stairs without another word. 

Nick looked distraught, glancing at the girls before following after his pregnant wife. “Kim, wait-” 

“Jacky.” Kaylee said, after a moment of silence. She looked at her best friend who was sitting in the arm chair, looking out the window. “Are you really thinking of leaving?” 

Jacky took her time in answering, letting out a breath. “Yes... and no. I understand Nick’s worry, but we still have an investigation to finish.” She looked directly at Kaylee, sitting forward. “Tomorrow, I’m going to Joseph’s Compound. It’s time to get to the bottom of this.” 

“... you mean,  _we’re_  going to Joseph’s Compound.” 

“No.  _I_  am going. Alone.” Kaylee opened her mouth to protest and Jacky moved to the couch, still talking. “Before you say anything- you need to stay behind and make sure Nick and Kim don’t come after me. It’s not ideal, but if anything happens to me then  _you_  have to make it out. You have to bring all the evidence we have to the cops and stop all this.” 

Kaylee shook her head. “No- no! This is stupid, you just agreed with Nick that this was getting dangerous and now you want to go? Why?” 

“Other than getting a face to face with the cult leader, there’s also this.” Jacky took the burner phone out of her pocket. “There’s something on here and we have no way to get the information without a signal. And the only places that have Wifi are controlled by Eden’s Gate.” 

That made sense, of course it made sense, but Kaylee continued to protest. “They are already looking for us, Jacks! You can’t just stroll in there.” 

“That’s what reconnaissance is for. Kaylee,” Jacky grabbed her shoulders. “If we don’t do this now, we will never get another chance. This is our one shot at nailing the Seeds before the destroy this community. I have to do this.” 

“And what if you do get caught? Have you thought about that? What they could do to you?” 

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter. My mind is made up.” Jacky squeezed Kaylee’s shoulders. “But I need you with me on this. Even if you’re not coming, you’re still my backup and the only person I can count on.” 

Kaylee’s lip quivered and she pulled away, crossing her arms. As much as she wanted to continue to argue, she knew Jacky was right. She had made her decision and nothing Kaylee could do would stop her. “For the record, this is a stupid plan and if you get captured, I’m not gonna leave without you.” 

“You have to... thank you.” Jacky rubbed her eyes. “And besides- if we do pull this off, won’t it be so awesome to be credited with taking down a cult?” 

Kaylee rolled her eyes, trying not to smile. “Let the record show I did all the hard research while you were trying to play secret agent.” 

Jacky grinned, grabbing her beer and draining the rest of this. “Okay, we should probably call it an early night then. Want to be up bright and early for ‘church’.” 

“Ha ha.”  

Jacky stood up, heading for the stairs and looking back at Kaylee. “You coming?” 

“In a bit yeah. I’m not really tired yet.” Jacky shrugged, jogging the rest of the way up the stairs. 

As soon as she was gone, Kaylee rested her head in her hands, fighting the burning sensation in her eyes. They were so fucked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading and for the kudos!
> 
> The lyrics in this chapter are from Tom Waits's "The Piano Has Been Drinking (not me)". I feel like Nick would be a Waits fan.
> 
> Next chapter is plotted out and it's gonna be longer and more action packet than this one. Probably the most action to happen before Jay meets the Seeds.
> 
> Again, thanks for reading!


End file.
